


No One For Me

by mirrorstoldthetruth



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Like really slow, Louis is sarcastic and soft, M/M, Slow Burn, also communication, because talking is sexy, both have been hurt, harry is charming, like a loooot of fluff, there might be smut, they are neighbors, they will be domestic, trust is an issue, wbk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 68,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24170641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorstoldthetruth/pseuds/mirrorstoldthetruth
Summary: „Hello neighbor.“„Hi“ he replies with a soft but deep voice and breaks into a smile.With dimples.Louis blinks.And hears a familiar voice in his ear.„Wha?“The neighbor raises his eyebrows in question while digging for his keys. Three bags of grocery held in his other hand without problems.Unfair.„Louis William Tomlinson!“ the voice shouts in his ear. Louis flinches and remembers the phone in his hand.OrWhere Louis and Harry never fell in love with anyone even though they tried and find themselves amidst Covid19, social distancing alone, not even contemplating finding someone to fall in love with.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	1. Setting up Camp

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fan fic, please bear with me.  
> I was reluctant to start posting chapters but today the teasing for Watermelon Sugar MV started and I took that as a sign to just jump in and do it.  
> I`ll try to update at least once a week. Lets see how I will manage that.  
> I also have no big plan how this will go, just what the end looks like.
> 
> Texts are in cursive

Tuesday, 25th of February

„So what did you want in the first place?“ Louis asks, holding his phone between ear and shoulder, his left hand trying to keep a hold on 2 bags of groceries and his right hand fishing for his house-keys. He manages to catch them, inserts into the lock while listening to the excited voice, and pushing the wooden door open with his hips. „Uhm yeah no. Can't come up to Donnie. Too much to do here the next weeks“ He answers and finds himself face to chin with a broad-chested guy who mumbles a sorry and slips past him out the door. „Plus I can't risk going on lockdown there. I can hardly work from me grans laptop.“  
He kicks the door closed, takes the phone in his hand, and starts climbing the stairs while listening to the other person. „Mate! We will go on lockdown. It's only a matter of time and really did you just say you went to party the other night? Get your head out of your ass and start isolating!“ When he reaches the top landing his eyebrows are knitted together and he is a bit too much out of breath for his liking. „Really its as if I didn't teach you how to use media to extract information“ he deadpans and after a moment grins at the reaction. After another juggling bags and phone situation he opens the flat door, throws the keys on the shoe rack that also doubles as a place to keep for too many random things, kicks the door shut, again, and calls out an „I am hooooome“  
5 minutes later, phone call ended, and halfway through stashing away his haul Louis hears shuffling and looks up just in time to see Oli rub his eyes and stare at him wordlessly. „Good morning“ Louis sings.  
„It's 8.“ Oli notes.  
„Affirmative.“  
„And you went shopping?“  
„Again, affirmative.“  
„What the fuck is going on Tommo?“ Oli sounds a bit desperate so Louis has mercy on him.  
„Worked through the night and thought it would be good to stack up on stuff before people get into a craze.“ Oli switches back to staring at him „And I can't bring the tape back to the client before 9.“ Louis shrugs, hands raised theatrically and resumes to put away several packs of noodles.  
„So you went shopping at what? 7? And thought its a good idea to wake us up by screaming when entering the flat and then banging around the kitchen?“  
„Yep.“ he doesn't even look up but Oli hears the grin and groans.  
„I hate you!“  
„I hate you too!“ a high voice from across the flat chimes in.  
„Sorry Clara.“ Louis sings with his head emerging from a cabinet.  
„So she gets a sorry but I don't? So much to being your best mate“ Oli scoffs.  
„She didn't willingly move in with me, but you did. Knowing me! Which really.“ Louis looks him straight in the eyes with a confused frown „still astounds me.“ shaking his head in disbelieve he grabs the heap of chips and cookies to bring them into the living room.

„Why is Nibbles so full?“ he calls in confusion after a minute.  
„Because you keep stacking up on groceries for a few weeks now Louis and for some reason you always get snacks even if they are not on your list“ Clara walks into the room, her flats softly clacking against the wooden floor, fastening a big yellow hoop earring and peering into the cupboard that probably has never been this full. Even when they prepared for a movie marathon weekend with friends there had still been patches of air in the cupboard. Louis looks at her, lips pursed ponderingly, straightening from his crouch „You might be right about that.“ closing the door he looks her up and down and gives her an appreciative nod when she poses with her arms stretched wide. Her yellow dress swinging softly from side to side. „Very yellow. It suits you. You look like a field of buttercups.“  
„Awwww. You give the best compliments.“ she chirps, goes in for a hug but stops herself with a frown „Social distancing is hard when it means not giving you hugs.“ she mutters with a pout and Louis chuckles „It really is.“  
„Anyway. You are so good with words. You should consider earning money with that.“  
Louis laughs at that and winks „I'll consider it.“  
Oli joins them „Why a tape tho?“. His voice muffled from putting on a light gray jumper.  
Two sets of confused eyes fasten on him.  
„You mentioned having to bring a tape to your client?“ Oli quips after a moment.  
„Oh right.“ Louis exclaims „They wanted a transcript.“  
„Haven't they heard of the internet and digitalization yet?“  
„They have but the content of the tape is top secret and they don't trust the internet.“  
„But is it really top secret?“ Clara chimes in with a sly side-eye.  
„It is really not.“ Louis chuckles „They are just to lazy to figure out how to transfer the audio to their computer, but I won't tell them because extra money.“ He rubs his fingers together with a grin. „Anygay. You two look like you are about to leave and I won't be responsive for the rest of the day. Can we have a chat about your plans for the next weeks?“

Half an hour later, Louis is locking up the flat, his left hand very occupied with a tiny gift pouch dangling on one finger, car keys on another, the tape and a sandwich stacked up on his palm when he hears someone climbing up the last set of stairs. He freezes. Is that? His neighbor?  
His phone rings and he looks from one hand to the other to decide which one is faster to empty. Four items vs one item?  
The right hand it is than. He switches flat keys for cell phone and seeing the mostly pale pink and tan contact picture he swipes up with a smile. „Hy Lots, how can I help you?“ looking up he is greeted with wide green eyes and a mop of hair halfway up the stairs that make him mess up the step he is about to make. The guys mouth rounds to a silent oh and he stretches out his hand as if to catch him, even tho they are about 3 meters apart. Louis catches himself tho and gives a smile and tiny nod to him „Hello neighbor.“  
„Hi“ he replies with a soft but deep voice and breaks into a smile.  
With dimples.  
Louis blinks.  
And hears a familiar voice in his ear.  
„Wha?“  
The neighbor raises his eyebrows in question while digging for his keys. Three bags of grocery held in his other hand without problems.  
Unfair.  
„Louis William Tomlinson!“ the voice shouts in his ear. Louis flinches and remembers the phone in his hand.  
„Oh sorry. Wait give me a minute Lots.“ He gives a little wave at green eyes who by now has the door open but still grins at him, hurries past him and down the stairs.  
„Oh shut up. I was just distracted.“ the female voice starts to say something but he interrupts with a cheerful „So now how can I help you?“  
When he buckles up in his car, phone on speaker a soft voice whines „Pleeeeease Lou!“  
„Don't you "Please Lou" me. I just can't.“ He starts the car and threads easily into the light traffic.  
„But the twins!“ the whining continues.  
„Charlotte!“  
The whining stops. „I understand what you mean but I can't leave here. I will have to keep working to pay me rent and really as much as I love you all I can't work me usual workload when I'm with the twins.“  
„And if Oli…?“  
„Don't even think about that! I will not ask Oli for money when I easily can make it meself by working!“  
They are both silent for a minute, Louis coming to a halt at a red light.  
„But you can tell Len and Jen that I have faith in them being able to handle two teenagers being home for their school-time too.“  
„Do you really think that we’ll go on lockdown?“ her voice is softer now.  
„100% sure. Even those dickheads that call themselves politicians won't want to lose thousands of citizens.“  
„Trusting you on this!“  
Louis only grunts on that.  
„I will relay your message to the grandparents. Or do you want to?“ she sounds like she is grinning now.  
„Thanks for the offer but no. I will pass out as soon as I'm back home.“ he yawns and sets the indicator for a left turn.  
„How exactly does a writer do so many nightshifts as you do?“ she sounds confused.  
„Don't ask me. It just happens.“  
„Don't do so many nightshifts Louis!“ she chides while he yawns again and waves a teen on a bicycle through.  
„I'm at me clients. Love you. Talk to you later Lots.“  
„Ta! Love you too.“ With a loud kiss, she ends the call.  
Louis checks his clock. 9:03 good. About 4 more minutes of road left to actually get to his clients and he won't have to wait for them to open.

When Louis climbs the stairs, again, to the 4th floor one and a half hours later he takes his time. That still doesn't stop him from panting when he gets there and he grumbles about his deteriorating stamina. He also takes a deep breath when he smells delicious food smells. Something with fried onions. Another deep breath and he is back to grumbling again. „Unfair!“  
It takes him twenty more minutes to shower, fall into bed and roll himself into a tiny cozy nest under his blankets and about twenty seconds to fall asleep.

Louis  
_My neighbor…  
_  
Niall  
_Oh its story time again  
*Grabs popcorn  
What story did you come up with today?  
_  
Louis  
_I actually saw him?  
_  
Niall  
_Wait  
_  
Oli  
_What?  
_  
Niall  
_What?  
_  
Luke  
_What?  
_  
Niall  
_You mean to say he actually exists?  
_  
Louis  
_Yes  
_  
Oli  
_You saw our neighbor?  
_  
Louis  
_Yes!  
_  
Oli  
_When?  
_  
Louis  
_Yesterday  
About 5 Minutes after you left xD  
_  
Oli  
_No!  
_  
Niall  
_HAHAHAHAHA  
Bad luck mate  
Now spill Tommo!  
_  
Louis  
_Young, our age  
Tall and broad  
Deep voice  
Polite  
Wavy hair  
Can hold 3! shopping bags with 1! hand, which i find quite rude and unfair as fuck  
_  
Niall  
_That all?  
_  
Oli  
_More information!  
_  
Louis  
_Nice smile?  
_  
Luke  
_Oh?  
_  
Niall  
_Ooh?  
_  
Oli  
_Mhhhhh?  
_  
Louis  
_Nothing more to say. I was in a hurry and had Lots on the phone  
_  
Niall  
_...  
Did anyone else hear Louis rolling his eyes on us?  
_  
Luke  
_I definitely heard that yes  
_  
Oli  
_Me too. Rude  
_  
Niall  
_We are only curious Tommo  
Your neighbor turns out to be a good looking guy. And you being the ever restless loverboy on your journey to find love…  
_  
Louis  
_I never said he was good looking though  
_  
Oli  
_Didn't you?  
_  
Luke  
_Oh  
He didn't :(  
_  
Oli  
_Is he though?  
_  
Niall  
_Tell uuuuus!  
Tommo?  
Is he ignoring us?  
_  
Oli  
_Yep. He's ignoring us  
_  
Luke  
_Again  
_

Monday, 24th of February

The flat smells like dust and silence. Harry groans and starts opening every window without even taking off his jacket. It is cold outside and slightly raining. This is London after all. But it takes only minutes for the fresh air to fill the rooms so there is that.  
When he has chucked his shoes and jacket, Harry proceeds to take out the vacuum bag with his bedding, opens it, and drapes the duvet and pillow over a chair that he places on the balcony. Just a few minutes will be enough.  
He takes out his phone and starts looking for a good place to record himself. Decides to settle against the counter of the kitchen isle, after all the wall lighting was installed to light out the room for recording. Even if he hasn't used it yet. He checks his appearance in the viewer and grumbles a bit about the dark circles under his eyes. Intercontinental flights do this to him, nothing he can do about it now though.  
However, with a shrug, he fluffs up his hair and presses record.  
„I am finally back in London. It is raining of course“ Harry chuckles „If you listen closely you can hear the sounds of a lovely, rainy London night.“ he goes silent and turns himself so the open window is in his back. Someone chooses that moment to cough and spit on the pavement. Harry widens his eyes in humorous shock and sputters a laugh. „Not what I was aiming for but we are here for the authenticity.“ Still grinning he turns back to his initial position, hips leaning against the counter. „I will settle down here for a little while so the next vlog will be about stocking up the pantry. Until then I wish you all wonderful days. Love H“  
He watches over the footage, checking the focus and audio, grinning when he hears that the London authenticity was actually picked up by the mic and uploads the video to the cloud.  
By now it is getting pretty cold so he makes the round to close all windows, getting the duvet and pillow from the balcony. It smells fresh and slightly homely and he does not resist the temptation to throw himself on the bed with the duvet, burying his face in the fluffiness and groaning a bit. The flight had been too long and it feels so good to stretch out. His legs are not completely on the bed though and he still wants to check up on Liam, so he gets up with another groan, this one not as happy as the former and walks to the kitchen. His phone is happily signaling a message which he checks while turning off the light.  
It is from Liam, only a few minutes old, and it reads a simple „Home now :)“  
Too lazy to write, Harry initiates a FaceTime. Liam accepts almost immediately  
„You are still awake? Thought you would pass out as soon as you arrived.“  
„I did arrive only half an hour ago, Liam. How are you home already?“ only then he notices the background noise of a car.  
„I'm not yet. Still in the cab. Was so excited to see the train station that I already wrote to you from there.“ Liam chuckles. „You know you would have been home a lot earlier if you hadn't insisted to accompany me to the train station.“  
Harry nods but opts to ignore the last part and also override Liam's pondering look „I did the last scene in my kitchen. Its already in the cloud. Will you be able to do a rough storyboard?“  
„Already did most of that on the train. Gonna finish that when I'm all snuggled up in bed and don't worry I'm ok. I've slept a lot on the flight.“  
„Please don't forget the jet-lag. It will hit you hard if you do.“  
„Nono I'm prepared and won't succumb to the time traveler curse.“ Liam smiles broadly and does the thumbs-up sign next to his face.  
„Good“ Harry chuckles „I'll go to sleep now. Love you, see you tomorrow.“  
„Love you too H.“  
Harry plugs the phone in, grabs his iridescent wash bag, and trots into the ensuite. Shower and moisturizer ensue on autopilot, as does pulling up the bedsheet. The groan he lets out when he finally sinks into his bed is positively obscene. Harry doesn’t care, he is already breathing deeply and drifting away.

Tuesday, 25th of February

He is woken only a few hours later by the 7:00 a.m. alarm.  
He turns that one off.  
Also turns off the 7:03 a.m. alarm.  
Groans loudly at the 7:07 a.m. alarm and practically throws himself out of bed before turning that one off.  
He rumbles unintelligible while walking to the kitchen with his eyes not really open. Collides with a doorframe and his knee makes acquaintance with the kitchen isle but no other incidents occur while he grinds the coffee beans and brews a fast coffee. He counts that as a success. While the coffee steeps he puts on some casual clothes and then stands in his kitchen, sipping steaming coffee, looking out his window into the grey-ness of February London.  
„I guess I'm back.“ he mumbles, his voice gruff from sleep and the aftereffects of a long flight.  
Snatching his phone from the counter he reads through the notes he'd made for today. Thank god he'd started them on the flight and decided to finish them on the train station after Liam's departure because right now his brain is not up for anything but staring into the abyss. After short deliberation, he decides to go straight to the shops for the first round of shopping and make some food afterwards. His freezer still has some leftovers in it which is very much needed but he also definitely needs some fresh fruit.  
On his way out he nearly runs into a boy?  
A guy?  
A male person with a rather lovely voice!  
He doesn't register much of the shopping, ticks off the better part of the essentials, and some fresh produce. Packing the 3 clothes bags happens in a daze and he nearly takes the wrong route just because he falls in trot behind a woman with her kid. When he makes it back and climbs the stairs he hears that lovely voice again and it turns out to be his neighbors.  
Definitely a man, but tiny and soft, he concludes after a better look.  
Harry smiles at him when he greets and watches him get flustered and confused when he forgets that he is on the phone. Harry is still chuckling when he starts unloading the groceries, not stashing them away but stacking them on the kitchen counter for the filming later.  
His breakfast consists of an easy sandwich with grilled onions and tomatoes and 2 bananas. After that he feels at least half-awake and conquers 2 other rounds of shopping, trying hard not to buy too much of each item but in the end, he needs lots of different things to make sure to still be able to make videos. When he is finally done he also has a bit of footage from the shop and him carrying the bags through the cold and slightly rainy streets of London. The juggling of the heavy bags filled with bottles of different juices and filming vlog-style without stumbling over his own feet is definitely something he is proud off.  
The whole day proceeds to be as foggy as the outside. Harry does some takes of the piles of food he bought, his fridge and pantry before and after stocking. He also does a rough cleaning of the flat, basically everything has a fine layer of dust except for the things that were covered. The covers all got a treatment to a vigorous shake out on the balcony and are now resting in a heap in his bedroom. Waiting for their turn in the washing machine. When the evening rolls around he contemplates to start editing but decides against it. Instead, he warms up a frozen soup, watches 2 episodes of Next in Fashion and falls into bed at 10 p.m., exhausted and grumpy.

Wednesday, 26th of February

The next morning is decidedly better. Harry hums through his morning routine after a heavily needed hour of yoga. When he enters the kitchen to make himself a hot tea he already has a plan for the next hours. It feels so good to be able to think again.  
He boots up his laptop while the water boils, pours the tea, and opens up their communication tools.  
When he hears the signal sound of Liam joining the chat he enters the virtual conference room and waits for the familiar face to pop up.  
„Good morning“ Liam greets cheerfully.  
„Good morning Liam“ Harry greets back with a smile.  
„Did you get anything done yesterday?“  
„Yes, I did. All the shopping and I cleaned up the flat but nothing more. My brain was basically mush. How did your day go? You look very rested so I guess you could avoid the more severe jet-lag?“  
„I did indeed avoid anything too severe. The day yesterday was mostly catching up with my family. Wasn't able to do much myself so I just hung around and let my mum be“ he shrugs his shoulders „be mum“ and giggles. „So what's the plan for today?“  
„I'm gonna start editing the last episode in a minute," he mumbles while scanning over the storyboard and looks back up. "Won't be too long thanks to your flawless preparation.“  
„You are very welcome boss.“  
„Don't call me that!“ Harry drawls without even looking up.  
„On another note. Will you tell me why it took you nearly 2h to get from Euston railway to your flat? At night?“  
„It didn't.“ Harry starts up the editing program „I sat at the station for a while to complete my shopping list while I was still awake enough.“  
„That was probably a good idea“ Liam chuckles.  
„It was one of my better ideas yes“ Harry grins back. „For the next days, I need you to do some research. I need ideas for the next week's videos that don't include going outside.“  
Liam rolls his eyes „I already looked a bit but couldn't find much more than baking bread.“  
„Bread?“ Harry looks up.  
„Like sourdough and other stuff? It is on my list of things that you wanted to try.“  
„You have a list of things that I want to try?“ Harry chuckles.  
„Yeah, you know for when we are stuck somewhere or something goes wrong or when we don't have any ideas?“ he rambles and Harry laughs.  
„Good thinking Liam. Put the sourdough on. It sounds just like the thing we need now.“  
„Yes yes. People will be stuck inside and many will start doing those things that they couldn't do due to them being too time-consuming. If we focus on like a basics course that will surely get lots of engagement and positive resonance.“  
„Yes it will.“ Harry smiles softly.  
„We also need to think about how we will change the focus and schedule of the channels now that we won't be traveling anymore. We can announce that on the Tuesday video.“ Liam adds. Harry nods and they fall silent for a minute.  
„So I'm going to log off now?“ Liam sounds unsure.  
„Please, uhm— can we? Can we maybe stay in the chat? We don't need to talk. Each doing their work. Just. I'm so used to you being around. Its weird being alone?“ Harry looks at him with his eyebrows drawn together.  
„No no. That's perfectly ok.“ Liam assures quickly „Let's work then.“  
Harry smiles at him, his shoulders relaxing „Thank you Li.“  
„No problem.“


	2. Chats are important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a little longer, but well here we are.  
> This one is still introduction. Lots of people get mentioned.  
> Writing for chats, even if its video chats, is a bit weird. I'm sure I will get the hang of it but for the time being: Sorry if its confusing
> 
> Texts are in cursive

Tuesday, 3rd of March

Louis joins the chat as the last. The others are already in a heated discussion.  
About… toilet paper?  
„Wha?“ he listens for a bit more to make sense of it.  
„Yeah, but why the fuck toilet paper? I mean where is the point in that?“ Hope complaints.  
„Exactly. Couldn't they like go for water as usual?“ Lewis throws in.  
„Because that would have not been inconvenient at all.“ Lottie deadpans.  
„No, but water is faster to replenish and they very likely expected a run on it and prepared for it.“ Luke joins in.  
„True.“ Lottie concedes.  
„And here I was afraid you all joined that weird toilet paper cult.“ Louis throws in. The conversation stops.  
„Oh you are finally here Louis.“ Niall exclaims, throwing his hands up in a single person la ola wave and a round of hellos greets Louis.  
„Yeah sorry for that. Work is a bit loaded right now.“  
„For me too.“ Clara adds.  
„How is that?“ Hope asks.  
„Yeah, how? Can’t be that many events left to organize.“ Lottie draws her eyebrows together.  
„No, but tons of events getting canceled. We have to cancel everything and get as much money back as possible to minimize the impact on us or our clients. It's a proper nightmare.“  
„But why cancel them all? Can’t you think of digital alternatives?“ Luke asks.  
Clara frowns and stares at the screen for a few seconds, then a tiny smile emerges on her lips. „Luke I'd like you to know that I would kiss you now if I could!“ she exclaims, jumps up, and leaves the screen. Oli is left there sitting, looking after her.  
„She is on her phone now, furiously typing“ he starts to narrate and turns back to the screen „Thank you, Luke. She looks ecstatic which is really good. The mood was getting really glum here the last days.“  
„It is weird this situation.“  
„It really is.“  
„Suddenly so many people feel useless and others workloads change tremendously.“ Ed joins in.  
„Why do you have so much work though Louis?“ Hope asks, turning the conversation back on him „The workload for writers shouldn't have increased.“  
„Technically it hasn’t. I took on more jobs to build up the savings. Also, I kinda have nothing to do right now with all of us not meeting up and the training also being canceled for an indefinite period.“ he rolls his eyes and earns some chuckles.  
„Don't overwork yourself though, mate. Without us, you also don't have any outlets. We don’t want you to go insane or something.“  
„No worries Ni. I will not forget to eat or sleep. But I can’t guaranty for the not going insane.“  
„What?“ Lottie exclaims.  
„Why?“ Lewis joins in.  
„My neighbor is driving me crazy.“ Louis whines, dragging the last word out theatrically and Oli laughs.  
„Is he still cooking?“  
„Yes!“ Louis sounds positively anguished. „It smells so good. What the fuck does he think he is doing?“  
„Cooking?“ Lottie snickers.  
„No shit, Lots.“ Louis rolls his eyes. „It's so unfair!“  
„Your neighbor cooks?“ Niall looks interested.  
„Yes! And it smells so good! Like most of the time. I am constantly being assaulted by food smells.“  
„That sounds like the worst torture ever.“ Niall sympathizes.  
„It! Is!“  
Clara chooses that moment to come back into view. „I’m sorry. I will most likely have a meeting in a few minutes and I recall Louis summoning us for this call for wanting to talk about something with us all? So could we maybe squeeze that in?“  
The round answers with nods and affirmatives.  
„Ah yeah than I’m taking over.“ Louis clears his throat and sits up straighter. „I basically wanted to check in with all of you to see how your situations are. Who is coping well, who is alone, who needs some help?“  
„Aww that is such a nice thought.“  
„Thank you, Hope.“ Louis bows, „Now let's start with Lewis. Are you good?“  
„I’m all good mate. Missing the pub but have some friends with me, having a house is amazing like that,“ he makes an awkward pose to indicate his big house, „and lots of beer.“ he waggles his eyebrows at that. Some of them snicker, Louis smiles and nods at him.  
„Good. Now Lottie?“  
„All good too. Distancing planned with my best friend. The salon is still open but we are all disinfecting and wearing masks. Thank god the boss is not an idiot. We stacked up on food a bit and have a big plan for which shows we gonna watch when we have to stay home.“  
„Sounds like a plan. Anything you need?“ Louis looks at her with searching eyes.  
„No. We good.“  
„Mhhh ok. Hope?“  
„I’m with my fam. Nothing we need here, parents stacked up on all basics, and I can work if needed from my old studio.“  
„You expect some mixing jobs?“  
„I expect some musicians going crazy and start to record tons of songs.“ she grins, Niall and Ed laugh.  
„That is indeed very likely.“  
„Ok, Ed?“  
Ed clears his throat „I started recording already?“ he grins and rubs the back of his head, everyone joins in with smiles and giggles. „I’m at home with Cherry. We’ve got some friends to come over to stay for lockdown and still need to buy some stuff. But its nothing pressing.“  
„Good. Because non of us would drive 100 miles to bring you crisps.“ Louis deadpans. Everyone snorts and nods in agreement.  
„Ok next is Luke.“ Louis puts some emphasis on the vowel.  
„Staying at home with my roommates. Most of us working from home anyway so no boredom in sight. But we need toilet paper.“  
Seven peoples mouths form to a silent „Oh“.  
„I have a spare pack. Tomorrow ok to drop it off?“ Louis says.  
„You have? How?“ Oli asks incredulously.  
„I got one last week but we still had the cupboard stocked. And with you being gone“ he trails off and shrugs. "There is only so much shit one lonely man can produce."  
„Yes please!“ Luke agrees on a snicker, „I’ll text you the address.“  
„Nice“ Louis continues, switching to looking at the next chat window „I know that Oli and Clara isolate together.“  
„Yes we do.“ Clara confirms. „My parents wanted me staying close by.“  
„We also don't need anything, except for regular contact with you guys.“ Oli adds.  
„That is easily arranged.“ Louis stretches and rubs his eyes.  
„Now Louis. You are alone?“ Oli interrupts when Louis takes a breath.  
„Yes.“  
„You ok with that?“  
„Yes.“ Louis's answer is maybe a bit to fast. Luke and Oli stare him down a bit, he cocks his head and smiles at them.  
„I have stacked up on everything too so no shortage of anything is expected here. What about you Niall?“  
Niall looks a bit confused for a minute „Oh. Right. I’m ok too. Planning on distancing with a mate when I come back. Stacking up is underway. Lots of work too.“  
„Sorry guys“ Oli interrupts, switching between looking sideways and on the screen. „We need to leave. Clara is needed in another call. Bye, have a nice evening.“ they both wave and get some greetings back.  
„Don't they have two computers?“ Louis frowns just when they vanish.  
„They do but the other one has problems with the mic.“ Hope explains.  
„Oh ok.“  
It is silent for a moment where everyone looks at everyone on the screen waiting for a continuation.  
„Niall, back to you“ Lewis looks a bit more serious than usual „How are you doing with this?“  
Niall blinks and scrunches up his face.  
„Uhm— to be honest not so good. I was so excited for the release and now it’s all-“ his hands mimic an explosion.  
„But you are still releasing right?“ Luke asks.  
„Yeah. Can’t cancel it, can I? I’m doing promo the next weeks. Not much of distancing possible in those times so wish us luck. Gonna be in the US for that mostly and then… I dunno what then.“  
„I’m so sorry for you mate.“ Louis looks at him. Or rather he looks at the screen and the camera alternately.  
„I’d give you a hug if I could.“  
„Thank you mate.“  
„Me too.“ Ed joins in.  
„How about we just give him a big group cuddle?“ Lewis exclaims, stretches his arms out, makes a kissy mouth and very, very slowly leans closer to the camera.  
„Ha! Yes!“ Hope and Luke exclaim simultaneously and do the same. Everyone else joins in with a giggle half a second later.  
For a moment all that is heard are kiss sounds and the breathing of six people that are too close to their devices infused with some giggles and Niall's laugh.  
When they all draw back from their cameras Niall is about to slip off his chair from laughing and wipes his eyes.  
„That was wonderful. Please be all aware though that I made a screenshot of this and it will go on my wall!“  
For a minute they all laugh, sit back on their chairs, drink something, change positions and it feels a bit as if they are all in one room.  
„Now there is one thing that I’d like to ask Louis before he falls asleep on us.“  
„I am not falling asleep Niall!“ Louis huffs.  
„Then why are your eyes more closed then open my dear?“  
„My eyes are no“  
„Anyway. What actually happened with whatshisname?“ Niall cuts him off.  
„Wha? Who?“ Louis blinks a few times.  
„You know that… what was he working as? Massagist?“ Luke chimes in.  
„Brad?“ Hope offers.  
„Brody“ Louis groans.  
„Yes! That one!“ Niall triumphs.  
„Nothing?“ Louis drags the word out.  
„Yeah we can see that.“ Hope deadpans „Otherwise you wouldn't be social distancing alone.“  
„I sure would. I would not want to spend weeks with someone that boring even if we were still dating.“ Louis rolls his eyes.  
„That was mean.“ Lottie scolds.  
„It was only the truth.“  
„Naw mate. It can't have been that bad.“  
„You forgot his name even though you saw him three times, Niall.“  
„I’m in the middle of releasing an album. I have a reason to forget names.“ Niall laughs.  
„Ok, I’ll give you that. But Luke, who saw him six times couldn't remember what he works as, which by the way is hairdresser, even though that makes up 70% of what Brody talks about and Hope who never forgets names, mixed it up.“ Louis takes his time explaining. Not really wanting to talk about it but trying to find the right words anyway. He stretches slowly, hands over his head. Thoughts turning a bit muddled.  
„True.“ Hope relents. „So I take it you broke up?“  
„If you can call it that. We never even had the exclusive talk.“  
„You didn’t?“ Luke asks.  
„Mate. He didn’t stay overnight once.“ Louis slumps back in his chair, rubbing his eyes and groans.  
„Well“ Niall sounds disappointed.  
„Another one gone.“ Luke concludes.  
The round falls silent for a minute, everyone doing their own version of picking at the seems of their shirts.  
„Uhm. Why are you keeping track of my brother's non-relationship though?“ Lottie finally asks with furrowed brows. Louis grumbles but doesn’t move or open his eyes.  
Luke and Niall both mumble something unintelligible.  
„We are nosy. That's why.“ Hope states finally.  
„I am not.“ Lewis interrupts with a finger raised „I dunno what's going on.“  
Niall laughs and opens his mouth to say something but his eyes fix on the screen and he stops, leans closer. „Louis?“  
No reaction. Everyone else leans in.  
„Louis?“ This time Niall is a bit louder. Still no reaction.  
Louis slouches in his chair, head thrown back, arm over his eyes, not moving.  
„Oh no.“ Lottie groans.  
„Did he?“ Ed asks.  
„Yep.“ Niall is leaning back again, laughing. „He did actually fall asleep on us.“  
„Should we try to wake him up?“ Lewis leans even closer to the screen, only one big blurry eye and some hair visible.  
„We should yeah.“ Lottie scrunches her face up. „He can’t sleep there!“

Louis wakes up feeling like a truck rolled him over. He groans and rubs his eyes.  
The clock on his nightstand shows him a friendly 6:37 a.m.  
He groans again.  
Rolls on his back and rubs his whole face.  
How did he get to bed?  
He tries to remember and comes up blank.  
He groans again for good measure.  
Rolling out from under his blankets he notices that he is still in last days cloths.  
„Fuckin ’ell“ he curses and drags himself to the shower.  
The hot water is doing wonders for his sore muscles. He feels slightly human again when he walks into the kitchen to make himself a cuppa.  
While it steeps he checks his phone.  
About 20 missed calls from Luke, Lottie, and Niall and lots of messages from the whole group are shown to him. He rolls his eyes and opens the guys group chat first. Because that one has only one message.

Luke  
_Sorry mate. We tried to wake you but you wouldn’t budge. Didn’t want to be too loud because of your neighbors. Hope you are ok and don’t have a stiff neck or something_

Louis  
_I’m ok guys  
Thanks for trying though  
I ended up in bed so all is well_

Lottie though had sent him 23 messages and as much as he wants to ignore those, he just can’t.  
He skims over them. The gist is easy enough and exactly what he expected.  
„Don’t overwork! You need sleep! Be nice to yourself! If you don’t, I’ll come over!“

He answers quickly:  
_Don’t fret. I’m ok.  
This staying inside just makes me a bit tired sometimes_ (This is at least half of the truth)  
_I miss doing things  
I love you_

He also sends some one-liners to Hope and Ed to assure them that he slept without a crick in his neck and then turns to his workload for the day.  
Lottie’s answer comes a few hours later:  
_I love you too  
Take it easy today_  
By then Louis is already deeply submerged in another transcript. This time for a youtube video about makeup.

Monday, 2nd of March

„Hullo my darlings“ Harry is leaning, hip against the kitchen isle and smiles into the camera, the room lighted by a warm light that makes the appliances and wall behind him seem golden.  
„Let's start this off with an announcement. As you might know from the last episode, we are back in England and have set up camp for the near future. As more and more countries go into lockdown we will no longer travel. For the health and safety of all people involved we decided to return to the homelands.“ He claps and clasps his hands together and nods with a serious face.  
„As we no longer will be traveling, the „En Food“ vlog will be reduced to 1 episode per week. I'm going to make a poll so you can decide whether we will keep the Tuesday or Thursday date. We will post a lot of unreleased footage there, mostly things that we never came around to use but there will also be outtakes for your amusement.  
This channel will get an additional episode per week on Wednesday and I will cover a lot of basics and longterm projects that I couldn't do while on the road.  
Now without further distraction I will dive right into an introduction to“ Harry steps forward and goes into an exaggerated presentation gesture „my pantry.“ He waggles his eyebrows and grins into the camera „Let’s dive into it!“

„I like what you did with the lighting.“ Liam’s voice sounds softly from the computer. Harry switches windows in his browser to see Liam deep in concentration.  
„I am not overly fond of it, to be honest. I just did it to reduce the glare from the background.“  
„Oh?“ Liam looks up „Too white?“  
„Yep. When I go with the white lighting it's like I have a halo.“  
Liam grins and starts to silently sing „I can feel your halo halo halo.“ He drags out the last vowel with an exaggerated swirl. They look at each other and burst out laughing after a second. „Harry Styles our saint and food savior.“ Liam announces with grandeur, still giggling.  
„Food savorer!“ Harry corrects with a grin and both dissolve into laughter again.  
„We are too silly.“  
„We are not Li. Laughing is healthy!“  
„True.  
Anyway, the lighting gives this episode a very homely atmosphere. It's very nice and soft and gives a good contrast to the information dump that you are doing there.“  
Harry chuckles. „It was a lot, wasn’t it? How are you coming along?“  
„Nearly done. We’ll be able to upload it in time, but I’m contemplating splitting it.“  
„Oh? How much do you have now?“  
„About 40 minutes.“  
„That much?“ Harry’s eyes get huge. „I had a feeling it was a lot while filming but with so many retakes I did lose track of time.“  
„And I already cut some stuff that I liked.“  
„Definitely split it then! We want it entertaining.“  
„Mhhh yeah. I’ll need some more voice overs from you then.“  
„Gotcha.“  
„And an opening for the second part.“  
„Uhhh. I don’t like it when that happens. It always feels so unnatural to film things in retrospect.“  
„Nothing we can do there now H.“ Liam looks at him with furrowed brows.  
„I know.“ Harry is pouting.  
„You’ve got a few days to think about what you’ll do.“  
„Good.“ he looks at Liam in concentration for a second, nods and switches back to the window with his research.  
They lapse into silence again. Each focused on their task at hand, only the keyboard sounds, rustling of clothes and the occasional throat-clearing audible.  
Two hours later, after they cut their session because Liam needed a break (and some freshly baked cake by his mum) and Harry did the needed voice-overs, he dials a number that he hasn’t called in a while.  
It gets picked up after the fifth ring.  
„Hey H.“  
„Hey mate. Sorry for calling out of the blue. Are you still in the London area?“  
„I am.“ the person chuckles.  
„Uhm— well. Do you remember the paintings that you offered for my flat?“ he ducks his head and rubs his neck with his right hand „I kinda need one for my kitchen wall. It's glaringly white.“  
„Too much reflection? That sucks. Do you have something in mind?“ Harry nods and grunts an affirmative sound. „Yeah something fruity.“ He thinks for a moment. „Closeups of fruit and mouthwatering would be nice. I can send you a video of the room so you can get a feeling for it.“  
„That sounds good. Also the measurements of the wall.“  
Ok, I’ll do that. Thank you.“ he starts walking to the kitchen „We should get together on a video chat soon as well.“  
„So you want me to use a computer?“  
„A bit yeah.“ Harry grins „I’ll just send you my contact info and you can decide when you want to join.“  
„You make it sound as if I would join anyway.“  
„Because you will.“ Harry grins.  
„If you say so. Have a nice evening H, was nice hearing from you again.“ he sounds like he is smiling brightly.  
„You too Pho, love you.“

The video is filmed and send in a matter of minutes. Harry leans with his upper body on the isle, stares at the blank wall for a bit, groans and lets his head thump on the counter.  
He decides to call his mum and go for a run afterwards.  
The call takes a bit longer than expected as Anne is working hard on getting him to stay with her for lockdown and in her case, he can’t even say anything about needing a good kitchen. Her kitchen is likely better stocked than his.  
In the end, he manages to weasel out of it by pointing out the lack of some ingredients in her neighborhood and how he thinks he is better off in London. What he does agree to is to come to her with Gemma for 2 days next week, so they can catch up on things. Thankfully Gemma is driving, going by car into the woods is a lot better than taking public transportation.  
Harry sighs again and shakes his head to clear it.

The run turns into something unexpected.  
He had planned to do a round of maybe 30 minutes but the moment his feet hit the pavement he feels the pull of letting go.  
So he does.  
He ends up all the way in Colne Valley. Runs for the better part of three hours.  
The cold air nipping at his skin and burning in his lungs, the beat of his feet hitting the ground helps him escape his head and just be.  
Looking at the grey sky, the dense cloud cover, the bare trees looking like fingers that try to scratch the clouds and ripping them apart but the clouds keep lazily flowing around them. Not many people are outside for a walk in this weather. He passes by the occasional dog walker, one particular black, curly dog trying to run along with him, his tongue lolling out in happiness until he gets called back.  
He stops at a bench at one of the lakes, stares at the water, follows the ripples with his eyes, catches his breath, empties his water bottle, and then heads back, very thankful for his navigation app. When he reaches the flat it has long turned dark outside, he is freezing and his neighbor is blasting - Harry stops in the middle of pulling off his top to listen more closely - Kings of Leon? Harry nods and hums along while heading for the shower. Good taste in music.  
He can still hear the beat and guitar riffs while taking a hot shower but the music stops while he makes himself a spicy noodle soup and a quick salad, so he curls up on his couch, turns on The Notebook and snaps a pic with the soup balanced on his knees in the foreground to share on his Instagram.  
Captures it:  
"Went for a run and craved something warming  
Always be nice to yourself  
Love, H."


	3. Holmes Chapel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texts are in cursive  
> 

Thursday, 12th of March

Gemma pics him up at 7 in the morning.  
„I’m down in a minute.“ he says through the intercom.  
„Let me in.“ she answers.  
„You don’t need to come up.“  
„Let me in!“ she sounds strained. He buzzes her in.  
Opens his door a gap and goes to check that all the windows are closed. He is about to put his shoes on when he hears a soft knock on the door. He straightens halfway, left shoe in his hand, and looks at his sister standing in the doorway, left hand still on the door pushed open by her. She is all bundled up in a thick, grey coat and scarf, buries her hands in the pockets. Narrows her eyes at him.  
Harry swallows.  
„Hi.“ he sounds breathless.  
„Hello.“ she slightly tilts her head to the side, her mouth still a thin line.  
Harry ducks his head and his eyes flit to the wall, the floor, then the shoe in his hand, back to her unmoving face and to the shoe again.  
„Uhm- give me- I’ll just“ he raises the shoe. When she doesn’t say anything he crouches down again to put on his shoes. Gemma just stands there and watches him. Harry is reminded of a hawk and feels remarkably like a mouse. After putting on his coat he steps up to her, slowly raising both arms for a hug.  
„Hello big sis.“ he mumbles into her shoulder when she steps into it. She wraps her arms around his waist and sighs.  
They stand there for a while, lightly swaying. When Harry feels his throat constrict he gives her a squeeze, kisses her hair, steps out of the embrace and turns to pick up his bag and scarf.  
„Let’s go.“ his voice is squeaky.  
They don’t talk while descending the stairs. He deposits his bag in the car, gets in and when she starts it he turns to her. „Catch me up?“ she gives him a short glance while shifting into gear, then steers into the traffic.  
„You should have stayed abroad.“ she deadpans.  
He stares at her, mouth open, eyebrows knit together. Wasn’t she the one who never dropped the topic of him finally coming back?  
„Would have been saver there.“ she adds and he relaxes.  
„So bad?“ he asks after taking a deep breath.  
„Worse. I mean just look at how we are still not in lockdown.“  
Harry grunts his agreement at that.  
„On a good note, this still gives us the means to go visit mum.“  
„I feel a bit bad about doing this, to be honest.“ He can practically feel her eyes boring into him.  
„We’ll be ok. We are both working from home mostly. Diligently distancing since you told us so.“  
„I am the one I am worried about. I“  
„You“ Gemma interrupts him „are home and social distancing now for more than 2 weeks!“  
Harry opens and closes his mouth, searching for something to say. Closing it with a cluck when he doesn’t find an argument. Gemma nods at that. „Besides even if we get sick we won’t infect anyone so we’ll at least not be spreaders.“  
Harry freezes.  
Eyes opened wide, head flooded with pictures of hospitals and tubes, beeping machines and his mothers and sisters pale faces.  
„We should stay here.“ he finally says, his voice breaking.  
„Harry!“ Gemma sounds positively pissed now. Rolling up to a traffic light and turning to him as soon as she comes to a halt.  
„She hasn’t seen you. In. 3. Years!“  
3 years?  
So long?  
Has it been 3 years already?  
Harry turns to her and her narrowed eyes and pressed lips pop open when she sees his expression. She furrows her brows.  
They stare at each other in silence, only their broken breaths audible. Gemma gives him a tiny nod but then both of them jump when a hard honk sounds from behind them. She turns back to the street, checks the lights and accelerates when it shows up as green.  
They stay silent while she weaves through the morning traffic to exit London. When they hit the M40 she starts to talk again.  
Harry listens while she tells him about work and how happy she is to no longer be in the politics section.  
„So“ Harry clears his throat. „You never told me. Where are you now?“  
„Wellness.“ Gemma states and Harry does a slow pan, complete with a raised eyebrow.  
„Don’t give me that look.“  
„Wellness?“ his voice goes into the squeaky territory.  
„Mental health, to be more precise.“  
„Oh“ Harry’s mouth snaps shut and he straightens up. „Ok. That makes sense.“ He looks at her with searching eyes. „Is that why you stopped complaining about your daft coworkers?“ he chuckles.  
„That and the fact that I pretty much don’t have any coworkers.“  
„What do you mean?“  
„I am the mental health department.“ she swings her left hand out in a presenting gesture and flutters her eyes at him before swiftly returning them to the road.  
Harry leans back in his seat, scowling, his mouth pressed together „That's not ok. There should be more.“  
„Well there were non a few months ago so I see this as a step in the right direction.“  
„You mean to say you basically created the mental health unit?“ Harry scowls even more.  
„Not just basically. Before me, the wellness unit did a bit of mental health here and there but never consistently. When I suggested we make it a regular topic they told me it wasn’t necessary.“ she scoffs and Harry does the same.  
„What did you do to change their minds?“  
„I researched the numbers of interaction, made a presentation.“ Gemma shrugs with a grin.  
„And they made you head of the new unit.“  
„Yep. They said `Take it away and give us the numbers´, so here I am. Taking it away. Giving them the numbers.“  
„Awesome. Congratulations.“ he beams at her. „Are you taking it away though?“  
„Its hard to say yet but I’m getting good numbers for now. Thank you.“ she nods sagely and they both laugh. „Now tell me about Papua.“

When they arrive she is till teasing him for whining about the temperature.  
„It’s not like I planned it that way.“ he throws his hands up and rolls his eyes. „My plan was to stay in South East Asia for the next months.“ Gemma laughs out loud and exits the M6 to Holmes Chapel.  
„I’d like to see how you’d react to a change from 30°C to 0°C in the course of less than a day.“ he pouts and sinks into his seat, arms crossed. When their surroundings register with him he sinks even deeper into his seat and stares.  
Stares at the houses and trees that he knows so well and also doesn’t. They all seem smaller but also imposing at the same time.  
Before long Gemma pulls up in front of their childhood home, shuts off the engine, and turns to him „Are you ok?“  
„Yes.“ he mumbles and exits the car without a backwards glance, stomps to the back, shoulders raised against the chill, and retrieves his and Gemma’s bag from the trunk. In the time it takes Gemma to get out and lock the car, Harry is already halfway to the door. Which opens when he is about one step away from it.

He sees her feet first.  
Her slippers a flowery mess of reds and yellows. The colors fresh and like a warning sign.  
Right on the threshold.  
Harry stops dead in his track.  
His heart, breath, and every muscle simply come to a sudden halt, as if he ran against a mental wall. He stares at the slippers that are in stark contrast to the tiles and the worn-down stones she is standing on.  
He swallows, loud enough that she probably hears it, and looks up. Directly into his mums' wide-open eyes.  
They are shiny and she blinks, her lips are open, moving silently.  
Harry feels like a deer in headlights.  
When she raises her arms, silently, slowly, he ducks his head and steps into the hug, rests his forehead on her shoulder.  
„Hello Harry.“ she whispers.  
„Hy mum.“ he rasps and steps back when he feels the knot in his chest grow rapidly, his eyes starting to sting.  
Way too soon.  
She swallows visibly.  
His hands grip the bag straps hard.  
Her hands come up to cup his cheeks and she smiles. „You are so tan.“  
He smiles shyly, eyes flitting everywhere. „Collected a bit of sun before I came here.“  
„He came from 30°C sunshine to rainy, February London. The poor boy.“ Gemma squeezes in between them and gives her mum a hug. „Let us in, it's cold and we don’t want him to turn into an icicle.“  
Anne laughs, steps aside, and ushers them in. „Come in, come in then. I’ve made some tea and bought some scones.“ she says while they start to take off their street clothes.  
„Oh are we having brunch?“ Harry asks, bend down to take off his shoes. Studiously ignoring the tiny crack in the tile beneath his left foot. Not thinking of how Gemma once, many years back, dropped that glass bottle because they were grappling. Definitely not thinking about His disappointed look at them both. Harry swallows when straightening up again, shaking his head to get rid of the image.  
„Well it’s breakfast for me.“ Anne laughs while navigating around them in the hallway. „Go put the bags up in your rooms and then come to the kitchen.“  
„Go go“ Harry waves Gemma’s hand away from her bag, „I’ll bring them up.“ She rolls her eyes and throws him a kiss.  
Walking up the stairs, taking two at once like he always did since he got bigger than Gemma, he keeps his head down, sees the new skirting anyway.  
Doesn’t know when the old ones got replaced.  
His room, however, is still the same, his old desk with the scribbles on the top and an old pen lying randomly on it like a lost puppy, the wardrobe where that one compartment doesn’t close perfectly, the chair that had always housed a pile of clothes is empty now, just like the bed. Of course, Anne would put the bedding away. She is not that sentimental.  
He puts his bag down onto the bed and retrieves a smaller bag from it, then puts Gemma’s bag just inside of her rooms door.  
When he comes down, he follows the noises to the kitchen. The two women are talking in hushed tones and look at him when he enters. They look as if they are about to say something and Harry braces himself.  
Anne breaks the silence by pointing to the steaming cup of tea „Sugar?“  
Harry looks confused between her and Gemma. „Uhm- no sugar, no. Thank you.“  
He puts the small bag on the counter beside the microwave.  
„What have you got there?“ Anne asks while Gemma already sticks her nose inside the bag and breaks into a huge smile. „Chocolate cake.“ she beams. „We gotta have some of this now!“  
„But it’s only 10:30.“  
„It’s not as if its alcohol mum.“ Harry chuckles and gets a knife from the block. He stares at it for a long moment, feels the handle, old and smooth from years of use, still lying perfectly in his hand and then proceeds to cut three slices. Gemma offers him three small plates with a curtsy which he thanks for with a nod.  
„They need to be warm. Do you want them now or at the end?“ he raises his eyebrows in question.  
„Now!“ Gemma orders and Anne laughs „I guess now it is then.“  
Harry smiles at them and puts the first plate into the microwave. „You won’t regret it.“

They really don’t regret it. Both are all over the cake and ask for the recipe, which he refuses to reveal completely.  
They sit for hours, even after the food is gone they still talk, make fresh tea and talk some more. Gemma is leading with stories from work and her still annoying coworkers, even if she doesn't work with them that much anymore. „They still annoy me.“ she exclaims, rolling her eyes when Anne points it out.  
„You truly have no one at work who is tolerable?“ Harry asks with raised eyebrows.  
„No no they are tolerable. Most of them. Just they are mostly so far off from reality. I’ve got two there who are nice actually.“ she appeases „And one or two of the freelancers are cool too.“ she tags on.  
„Good.“ Harry has his chin in his hand, elbow on the table and grins at her. „I was getting worried that your cynicism would leave you friendless.“  
„Better to have few real friends than many false ones.“ Anne chimes in on that and both nod in agreement.  
„Speaking of which, how is Liam doing, and did you ever make any friends on your journeys?“  
Harry finds himself stared at from two directions and shuffles a bit backwards, now both arms propped up on the table, fingers fiddling with his bottom lip.  
„Uhm- Liam is good. He went home to his parent's house for now. Works from there and enjoys getting spoiled by his mum.“  
„Oh you are still putting stuff out?“ Gemma asks.  
„Yes he does.“ Anne answers for him. „I was wondering how you could do that still, but this makes sense of course.“  
Harry looks at her for a long moment.  
She still watches his videos.  
„Liam is mostly looking through my old material for the travel vlog throwbacks, putting those together and he does a bit of research for cooking topics.“  
„Throwbacks?“ Gemma asks.  
„I changed the output concept and schedule a bit. Now that we don’t travel anymore, the travel vlog doesn’t make any sense.“  
„Mhhh. Yeah of course. What does that look like now?“  
„We changed from two EnFood travel vlog’s per week to one. For those Liam makes videos from old unreleased material. A bit like outtakes and cut scenes. In compensation, the Bananas channel has two episodes per week now, where I do the cooking. The plan is to make it targeted towards quarantining.“  
„I really liked the two episodes about stocking up the pantry, you did. Helped me jog my brain for this situation.“ Anne throws in.  
„Glad I could help, mum.“ Harry says, softly smiling. „That being said, did you think about what to make for the video?“ Harry looks at Anne.  
„What do you mean?“ Gemma interrupts, looking between her mum and brother.  
„I need to make a video for the Sunday release and mum agreed to let me do it here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to stay for two days.“ Harry explains.  
„Oh, that makes sense.“  
„To be honest she insisted to choose something that we could do together, so I can make a homely episode - her words not mine.“ he tags on when he sees Gemma’s smirk. „And if you want you can join too, but you don’t have to of course.“  
„Of course I’m joining. This is my 5 minutes of fame that I was always waiting for.“ They all laugh and Anne stands to get a cooking book that is littered with notes of different neon colors.

„Hello darlings, today is gonna be a bit different.“ Harry is standing in the kitchen in a comfy, muted olive green jumper that says `Obsession´, window in front of him and door to the kitchen visible behind him.  
„I’m here at my mum's house with my sister. We have all been isolating for several weeks now and we will keep doing so when we get home, thankfully we are all three able to work from home, so this should be as safe as possible.“ A shuffling is heard beside him and Gemma’s head pops up in the frame „He hasn’t seen mum for 3 years so don’t be too hard on him.“ she smiles and retreats as fast as she appeared. Harry looks perplexed after her and clears his throat.  
„Uhm- yeah- we- well we will cook in this rather tiny kitchen so it will likely be a bit chaotic, please bear with us.“ Gemma’s head is popping up again but Harry places his hand on it and pushes her slowly back „Oi!“ she protests but he only looks into the camera with a grimace. „Also this is Gemma, my sister. She is annoying, please bear with this too.“ He rolls his eyes in emphasis and stops the recording.  
„Would you mind not doing that again, please? This will make the cutting really tedious if you pop up in screen every few seconds.“ he scowls at her.  
„How about just keeping me in?“ she grins at him.  
„Not gonna happen.“ he grumbles.  
„Alright, alright Gemma please don’t make it harder for Harry. I’m sure it’s already hard enough to adjust filming here.“ Anne chides and lays her hand on Gemma’s shoulder.  
„It’s not that hard actually.“ Harry looks down at her with soft eyes, „I have been filming in so many conditions that it’s become kind of easy. The biggest problem is that when she pops into frame the camera will go out of focus.“  
„Is that why you brought all this?“ Gemma gesticulates to his setup with the headlights, tripod, and camera. Studiously ignoring the second part of his explanation.  
„Yes.“ Harry nods, „It’s easy to make it work when there is light. Hardest part today is actually that the camera is gonna be static most of the time and I can’t cover the whole room with it. I am so used to Liam filming.“ Harry trails off. Trying to remember the last time he filmed alone before he came back to the UK and comes up blank.  
„He’s become really good.“ Anne’s words pull him out of his head.  
„Oh?“  
„Yes the quality is so much better now than it was 2 years ago.“ Anne nods. Harry smiles broadly at her.  
„Thanks. I will tell him that.“

Harry  
_My mum says that your filming has gotten a lot better  
_  
Liam  
_She does?  
_  
Harry  
_Yes  
We talked about how its weird to film without you and she said that the filming quality got a lot better in the last 2 years  
_  
Liam  
_Oh  
_  
Harry  
_Are you blushing now?  
_  
Liam  
_I am indeed  
That is so nice of her to say  
Give her a hug from me  
_  
Harry  
_I will  
_  
Liam  
_How is it going?  
_  
Harry  
_Ok?  
_  
Liam  
_I’ll rephrase that. How are you doing?  
Harry?  
You don’t have to answer  
Sorry for asking  
_  
Harry  
_No  
It’s ok I guess  
Maybe  
_  
Liam  
_Take a breather now and then  
It’s ok to be overwhelmed  
_  
Harry  
_I’m doing that right now  
Sitting outside and looking at the clouds  
_  
Liam  
_Good  
_  
Harry  
_And Gemma just came outside  
Talk to you later  
_  
Liam  
_Say hi from me  
_  
Harry  
_She say’s hi back  
And Thank you for whatever reason  
_

„Why thank you?“ Harry looks at his sister who just sat down beside him on the old, rickety bench.  
„For being a good friend to you.“ she answers without looking at him. Her eyes are trained at the sky just as his where. He blinks and takes in her stoic features.  
„Also for becoming a really good cameraman.“ she picks up, „And a good business partner.“  
Harry looks back up to the clouds who are lazily swirling around each other and smiles.  
„That he is indeed.“  
They sit in silence for a while. Harry seeing a cloud hedgehog, a crown and a very elaborate dancing scene unfold and vanishing again.  
Gemma sighs.  
„Would you have come home if it wasn’t for Liam?“  
Harry tenses up and stops breathing for a bit. After a minute he releases his shoulder muscles on a sigh, slumps down, eyes to the ground, elbows on his knees.  
„No.“ he pinches the bridge of his nose „Liam actually wanted me to go home.“  
He feels her shift beside him, body turning towards him.  
„Why?“ her voice is shaky and he sees her hand clench on the knee. „Why didn’t you?“  
„I-„ he sinks his hands into his hair „I just couldn’t. I- “ he turns his head towards her, sees her eyes shiny with unshed tears. „still can’t. I’m sorry Gemma I still can’t. Please don’t make me think about this.“ he swallows hard, eyes rapidly blinking. She stares at him for an eternity in which Harry is battling the lump in his chest and his stinging eyes. Eventually, her face softens and she opens her arms.  
„Hug.“ it’s more a command than a request and he complies. His eyes welling up even more. He squeezes them tight and takes a shaky breath.  
„It’s ok to cry, you know.“ She pats him on his back and he stays still, willing his body to just stop and after a minute it complies. He sinks down further and somehow ends up with his head in her lap, her hands patting his hair. Eventually, he relaxes again.  
He hears the tail ends of tension in her voice when she speaks again.  
„You’ve built quite a good business there.“  
„Who would have thought.“  
„Definitely not me.“  
„Me neither.“  
„I thought you would end up as a lawyer.“ Anne steps into the garden.  
„I thought that too, mum. But this is a lot better.“  
„You seem to have a lot of fun.“  
„I do.“ Harry sits up and looks at her. She looks a bit worn. More wrinkles in her face. The ones around her mouth are a lot deeper. But she is still giving off that warmth that Harry always associated with the love of a mother, with her really if he is being honest. The setting sun makes her look like the embodiment of a warm hug. She shivers.  
„How are you outside here for so long? Aren’t you cold? It’s freezing.“  
Harry, rubbing his hands together, notes that he is indeed cold.  
„Now that you mention it. It might be a tiny bit chilly.“ Gemma deadpans and Harry chuckles.  
„Let’s go inside. I’ll make hot cocoa to go along with the trifle.“ Anne says and steers them inside.  
„Cocoa!“ Gemma cheers.  
„I’d much prefer tea and start with the fake shepherd's pie.“ Harry chimes in.  
„How about we go very unconventional and put everything on the table.“ Anne offers and both of them agree with a happy „Yes.“  
„Can we also“ Harry goes to put his coat away.  
„Can we what?“ Gemma asks while doing the same. He softly nudges her shoulder with his in passing.  
„Can we watch a movie after that?“ he walks into the kitchen, his mother testing if the pie is done.  
„We can do that sweetheart.“ she smiles up at him and he smiles back. „Only 5 more minutes.“ she says with a nod to the pie while closing the oven.  
He nods and leans against the counter, eyes never leaving her face.  
They hear Gemma starting to set the table and he blinks a few times.  
„Gonna set up the camera.“ he shrugs off the counter and leaves the kitchen again.

„Why are you filming with a camera and your phone?“ Gemma asks with emphasize on the "and" while they bring the dishes into the kitchen.  
„The phone gives a bit of closeness to the viewer. Also, it’s easier to handle than the camera.“ Harry explains slowly while loading the dishwasher.  
„That why you decided to take the phone for the feast?“  
„Hehe yes. The camera is good for when it needs to be static like the cooking and for rapid movement situations.“  
„Like running from a crocodile?“ Gemma hands him the cutlery, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
„Yes or rafting for example.“  
Gemma’s mouth pops open. „You went rafting?“  
„I did.“ Harry chuckles. „I also rode on an elephant.“  
„You did not!“  
„I did.“ he is laughing now, „My dear sister you might want to watch more of my videos.“ he teases.  
She stares at him, mouth hanging open.  
He passes her on his way out and gives her a clap on the back. Hears her softly whispered „The fuck?“ and bursts out laughing.

The evening ends in them watching two movies. Now and then commenting on the happenings on the screen, but not diving into any more talking between themselves. Harry likes it that way and excuses himself to bed afterwards. Giving Anne a kiss on the cheek and Gemma a soft squeeze to the hand. Ignoring his mothers searching eyes on him, he practically gallops to the hallway and up the stairs.  
The shower does help a bit with relaxing his shoulders but he can feel the stiffness creep up on him that always comes with tense situations. A yoga routine for the evening helps him calm down even more, so that when he lies down he feels like sinking into sleep.  
He ends up not falling asleep though.  
The moment he crawls under the covers his mind zeros in on his surroundings. His eyes glued to the walls around him.  
Seeing the long-forgotten shadows at night, smelling this house, hearing the woodwork creak softly.  
Stopping his thoughts at these memories because the other memories he does not want to visit.  
Sleep catches up with him in the early morning hours.

Friday, 13th of March

When he wakes up he doesn’t look at the time. Just goes straight into searching for tea.  
„I don’t know mum. He doesn’t talk to me either.“  
Harry freezes.  
„He asked me to not make him talk about it yesterday.“ slippers shuffle on the floor.  
Harry imagines to hear them breathing, but all he actually hears is thick silence.  
„He looked like he was breaking apart, mum.“ Gemma sounds strangled.  
Anne makes a sound that could be a sob but also a cry.  
Harry turns around and walks back into his room.  
Walks into that room that he has grown out of.  
That room that now seems so tiny. Like it’s part of a dollhouse and he is the giant that could destroy everything with a single careless step.  
He climbs into bed, pulls the blanket over his head and breathes.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed when he goes back down again, but his mum is sitting at the dining table with a pot of tea in front of her, glasses perched on her nose and a book lying open on the table. She smiles at him when she hears him approach and Harry lets himself fall into that. He breathes in deeply.  
Pretending.  
That he can do.  
„Good morning.“  
„Good morning.“ he mumbles, steps up to her, and gives her a kiss on the hair, hand on her cheek for a soft touch. The clock on the wall shows that it’s indeed still morning. Only a few minutes after 9.  
„Gemma is getting us rolls from the bakery. Will probably take only a few minutes till she’s back.“  
„Good timing on my part than.“ he says and goes into the kitchen to get some water cooking.  
„What are your plans for today?“ she asks when he leans against the door frame.  
He looks at her.  
Brows furrowed.  
„Thought about going up to the viaduct.“  
Anne nods with her lips a bit thinner than usual.  
„Haven’t been there in over“ he furrows his brows, „8 years?“  
The kettle starts whistling and he goes to brew up his tea.  
„And I want some outside shots for the episode as well.“ he adds.  
„You mean us cooking fake shepherds pie and making trifle was not enough?“ She looks at him with her eyes impossibly wide open. The corners of her mouth twitching slightly but her voice too strained to consider it a heartfelt joke.  
„Nope.“ he pops the p and crinkles his eyes at her from the doorway.  
When he comes back with a steaming cup in his hand she is reading again. He sits down and looks at her.  
Her fingers already holding up the page to turn.  
Her hair is a little fizzy and streaked with white that glitters in the morning light.  
It doesn’t take her long to notice his look and her eyes flick up to him over the rim of her glasses.  
„I thought we could do some welsh rarebits after we come back from the walk and maybe a tomato soup.“  
She looks at him some more while they hear keys turn and the front door open.  
„You want me with you on the walk?“ she asks.  
Gemma walks into the room, groaning. Cheeks red.  
„You both actually. If it’s not a problem.“ Harry looks between the two women.  
Anne’s mouth opens to a silent oh and then transforms into a smile.  
„It’s not a problem at all.“  
„What is not a problem?“ Gemma asks while sliding into her chair, throwing the paper bag from the bakery on the table.

Gemma ends up insisting on them also cooking vegetarian pasties as a fee for her to accompany them and Harry agrees. He keeps calling them vegish pasties until she threatens to force-feed him a hand full of old, grey grass while sitting on his stomach. Harry agrees to stop, still giggling and looking for his phone that slipped from his hand when she ran full force into him, knocking him off his feet.  
„Good lord, if I manage to get enough good quality shots for a full episode it will be a miracle.“ he complains with an eye roll and starts another taping after brushing off his trousers.  
„You can see here the Twemlow Viaduct.“ he slowly explains while panning over the bridge. „Build in the 1840s with 23 arches, each arch is 8 bricks deep.“  
„How do you know these numbers?“ Gemma chimes in from his right where she has fallen in step with him.  
„Counted them.“ he deadpans „On top runs the railway to Crewe. It’s not that much of a super historical sight but in the summer when the fields around are green its a very nice spot to be.“  
„And he knows that very well because that’s where he vanished to as a teenager.“ Gemma interrupts again.  
By now Harry has given up on trying to get any shot without her interrupting in any way. He just groans and stops the taping. A few more shots of the river, which is doing its best to look very picturesque with the sun making an appearance to add some glittering lights to it and the sky littered with crows and some sparse clouds and Harry is done. They spent the rest of the walk talking about some of the people in the village, Gemma and Anne avoiding to mention anything connected to Him though.  
Harry appreciates that a lot and lets them know by hugging them alternately. Pressing kisses to their heads and holding their hands.  
When they get back his hands are red and ice-cold, just like his nose and lips.  
„I forgot that it gets even colder out here in the fields.“ he mumbles and Gemma grumbles in agreement. Anne, who looks like a winter dream, with her cheeks red as apples and eyes glistening, laughs and puts on a kettle of water while they rub their hands together.  
„I noticed that you rarely have any cold or snow content.“ she is heard from the kitchen  
„Yes.“  
„Is that on purpose?“  
„Very much so yes.“ he chuckles.  
„That's what I wanted to ask anyway.“ Gemma chimes in. „How does that even work? How do you plan where to go next?“  
„Uhm- that's, that has changed a bit over time. In the beginning, we just went where we wanted to and where we could afford to go.“  
„That was the time with Zayn, right?“ Anne joins in from the kitchen door.  
„Yes. And also the first months with Liam where mostly the same too. Now we are still going where we want to, but with the addition of people asking us to come and cover their things, with friends asking to do collaborations and us making deals with organizations, hotels and so on if they want us to cover them.“  
„Wait.“ Gemma furrows her brows, „Are you telling me that you are getting paid for sleeping in a hotel?“  
„I get paid for mentioning the hotel in my videos.“ he corrects her.  
„So youtube is not your only source of income?“ Anne asks.  
„Yes.“  
„I need a rundown on this. With what and how do you actually earn money?“ Gemma scowls at him.  
„Wait a moment.“ Ann says with her finger raised when the kettle starts to whistle, „I want to brew the tea first. And you two should actually take off your coats.“ she laughs and vanishes in the kitchen.  
They look at each other and shrug in unison.  
„Good idea.“ Harry notices how he is getting a bit sweaty in his coat and stands up to put it away. Waits for Gemma to shrug out of hers too, to take it from her and bring them to the hallway.  
When he comes back the steaming cups are already on the table and Gemma is carrying a plate with some fruits from the kitchen.  
„Just so we won’t starve.“ she says while sitting down.  
Harry laughs and goes straight for a banana and peels it.  
„My income“ he takes the first bite, „Consists of what is generated through Adsense on youtube, direct advertising that I do in the videos and individual jobs I do on-site.“  
„Like when you cooked in that resort in Australia?“ Anne asks.  
„Yes, like that. But I also do lots of private cookings by now.“  
„Oh?“ Gemma raises her eyebrows.  
„Yep.“ Harry nods and takes another bite from the banana.  
„That sounds like a lot of organizing.“ Anne muses.  
„It is. That's what is Liam’s job mostly.“  
„Oh and here I thought he only was your travel buddy who films sometimes.“ Gemma says.  
„That and about a million other things.“ Harry chuckles, „He is the best thing that could have happened to me. Without him, there would be no Harry Styles brand.“  
„Brand?“ Anne and Gemma ask in unison.  
„He is the one who helped me clean up the channels. We made a business plan including appearance and recognition features. He helped me actually earning money with it.“ he takes the last bite of the banana.  
„Oh.“ again in unison from both women. They stare at him for a while.  
„I didn’t think there was so much work behind this.“ Anne eventually breaks the silence.  
„It was a lot of work in the beginning but now we have a routine with all guidelines in place so it’s become a lot easier. I think Liam was actually getting bored in the last months, to be honest.“ Harry chuckles.  
„So you didn’t earn money with youtube before Liam joined?“ Gemma asks.  
Harry laughs „Definitely not. I got recognized by random people way before we made significant money with the adds.“  
Both woman’s eyes open wide and Harry can practically see their panic mounting about him having no money all that time.  
„Oh no no no! We did earn money before with the channels by advertising for travel companies and such and we did small on-site jobs. Youtube just took a while to become a basic income for us. Which was really a milestone. It took a lot of pressure off.“ their faces relax a bit while he rambles with his hands gesticulating wildly. „That was somewhere around my 23rd birthday.“ he muses and stops dead in his thoughts.  
That was 2017.  
2017!  
He looks at his mum who’s eyes slowly widen again „Is that why you“ she snaps her mouth shut when he suddenly gets up, the chair scraping loudly over the floor.  
„I need to catch up with Liam for a bit. We can start cooking in about half an hour if that's ok.“  
They both nod their agreement while staring at him, but he has already stormed off.  
Gemma turns to her mother who is tearing up. „Do you think“ she trails off.  
„What if he couldn’t come back?“ Anne’s eyes are wide open in shock and tears running down her face. Gemma gets up and hugs her to her chest.  
„It’s a bit more complicated than that, I think.“ she explains, kissing her sobbing mother on the head. Lips a thin line. Eyes sad and tired.

„I love Gemma.“ Liam starts talking even before the video connection has fully built up. „This episode will be amazing.“ he laughs.  
Harry just stares at him.  
„She is so funny.“  
Harry scowls. „I actually thought about cutting her out.“  
„No mate. Really she is so funny and her comments make the whole thing so much more personal and engaging. You want that because some will be angry at you breaking the distancing. It would also turn into a jumbled mess if we cut her out.“  
„I figured as much.“ Harry grumbles.  
„Sorry, mate. But believe me, this will be a good episode. Will you be adding some more footage?“  
„Yeah we will cook some more in a few minutes and some outside footage is currently uploading.“  
„Oh, nice. I will timestamp it in the next hours.“  
„You don’t need to. I was planning on doing that tonight and on the drive back.“  
„I am already on it, to be honest. Please let me I am so bored.“ Harry laughs and Liam looks at him with searching eyes. „Are you ok mate.“ he eventually asks.  
„No“ Harry’s face falls and he swallows, picking at a loose thread on his blanket, „but please let’s not talk about it.“  
„Ok“ Liam nods and gives him the puppy eyes. When Harry doesn’t say anything he takes a deep breath, „I will timestamp everything and you can start cutting on your way back.“  
„Ok“ Harry nods.  
„This way you’ve got a bit more room for voice overs once you get home. Do you know when that will be?“  
„We planned on early afternoon.“  
They are silent for a moment. Harry still concentrating on the blanket instead of his phone.  
„How is it at yours? Family all good?“ He breaks the silence.  
„Uhm- oh. Not completely. My mum thinks she’s gonna be laid off if we go into lockdown.“  
„Oh“ Harry looks up, his eyebrows furrowing even more.  
„I try to teach her how to use the internet and how she can work remotely but she is in a weird headspace right now. Like she doesn’t want to learn. I think she is very scared of this situation but she doesn’t talk about it. Cries a lot though.“  
„I’m sorry.“ Harry mumbles.  
„It’s ok. Dad and I are working on it. He will definitely keep his job. So there is that.“  
„Good. If you need any help just tell me. I can try cheering her up or alleviate some of her fears at least. Hearing an outside voice might be helpful.“  
„You are right, that might be helpful indeed. Thank you, H.“ Liam smiles.  
„You are welcome.“ Harry looks at the clock and scowls. „Time to get cooking again. Have a nice evening and greet your parents from me.“  
„I will. Greet your mum and sister too. Tell her that she is hilarious.“  
„I will not. Bye. Love you.“ Harry chuckles and ends the call on Liam laughing out loud.

Their second cooking session goes a lot smoother than the first.  
Partly because Gemma and Anne now know how the recording works but also because all three are very heavily focused on not upsetting each other.  
Their afternoon is filled with eating welsh rarebit and tomato soup, doing the dishes in amicable silence, dancing, and singing along to some songs from the radio, playing a game of scrabble that dissolves into a lot of arguments. They end in Harry grumblingly admitting that his English is tainted by a lot of anglicisms that are used in various non-english speaking countries.  
„Did you know that germans call cellphones handy?“ he states when Anne sets said word.  
„Now you are making up stuff.“ Gemma laughs.  
„They really do.“ he defends himself.  
„Oh right. I remember.“ Anne exclaims on a chuckle and Harry joins in with her.  
„Really!“ Harry nods to Gemma, „Took me a few days to realize it. They tend to sprinkle in English words a lot. I was confused for quite a while.“  
„I mean“ she shrugs, „it is indeed handy.“  
„That it is.“ he laughs.  
„It’s weird tho. Is there other weird stuff you learned?“  
„To be honest this does not even make my top20 list of weird stuff I learned.“ Harry looks at her with big eyes. „The world is such a wonderfully weird place.“ he smiles broadly and both his mother and sister smile with him. „I’m so glad I found this job if we have to call it that. There is not much that would have fit me better.“  
They end the game with some more teasing and squabbling. Anne wins with 5 points on Gemma.  
Harry is still pouting when they start on the vegish pasties, but the mood is a lot lighter and they have a lot of fun filling the dough circles.  
„We are making a lot more than needed.“ Harry says into the camera, swiping a lock off his forehead with his wrist because his hands are a bit messy „Gemma keeps complaining about not much variety for vegetarians.“  
„Which is the truth.“ she speaks in between with a scowl.  
„She is gonna take most of them with her and we’ll leave some for my mum to freeze too.“ Anne softly pats him on the head when she passes him and he smiles at her.  
„The ones with sweet potato are the most filling. You’ll probably only need one of those if you add some salad. We are going to bake these for 35 minutes“ Gemma raises the baking sheet filled with pasties into the frame. „And then it’s time to eat.“ Harry beams into the camera.  
„Harry, did you notice that the ones you made look the messiest?“ Gemma asks innocently after she closed the oven.  
„I-“ Harry’s mouth falls open.  
„Oh right. That’s probably because you have two left hands.“ she teases and pats his shoulder.  
Harry snaps his mouth shut and rolls his eyes theatrically before stopping the recording.

They spend the evening in silence. Anne reading a book, Gemma and Harry are both on social media.  
„Do you want me to mention your Instagram accounts?“ he asks while writing a teaser for the next episode.  
„Nope.“ Gemma answers immediately without even looking up.  
Anne looking over the rim of the book for a minute before also declining.  
Harry nods and posts it.  
He updates his Instagram, answering some of the comments and writing emails to friends, asking them how they deal with the pandemic.  
When he falls into bed his head is hurting and he tries again, to no avail, to fall asleep fast. After an hour of tossing around and trying to stop remembering he downloads an app with nature sounds. Sets the rainforest presetting and concentrates on the birds and patter of water. He falls asleep just after midnight.

Saturday, 14th of March

When he wakes up Gemma is gone again. Including her car.  
Harry knows where she went.  
Anne knows that he knows.  
They don’t talk about it.  
After a mostly silent breakfast, they end up on the couch. Which is a newer acquisition, off white and super comfy. Harry lies with his head in her lap, answering her questions about situations in his videos. It starts off with questions about the weirder food he tried but when she starts asking about the more dangerous situations, mentioning the militia incident, he stops her by taking her hand that had been clenching on his arm in both of his hands „Mum. I’m here now. No need to think about what has passed. I am here and I am safe.“ he kisses her knuckles.  
She looks at him for long moments, searching his face.  
„You are right.“ she relents. „You are here now.“ her eyes fill with tears and Harry swallows. He can see the first tear slipping out and before she can wipe it away he hugs her. Wraps himself around her, hands gripping his elbows as if he could protect her from everything. She sniffs a few times and wraps her arms around him.  
„I love you mum.“ he mumbles into her hair.  
„I- I love you t-too.“ she is shaking and when he squeezes her she starts to cry violently.  
Harry opens his eyes wide against the tears welling up in him. Fights against the lump in his chest growing huge, trying to crawl out through his throat.  
He swallows hard.  
Wants to pull back.  
But he can’t.  
That would hurt her.  
Hurt her so much more than he is hurting.  
So he holds her.  
Breathes.  
Looks at the empty tree branches swaying in the wind.  
Looks at the clouds hurrying across the sky.  
Holds his mother until she stops crying. Until she pulls back and reaches for tissues.  
Takes a deep breath while she cleans her face.  
His hands are shaking.  
He stuffs them under his legs.  
Leans back and closes his eyes with a sigh when he hears the front door open.  
Anne jumps up and hurries to the hallway, still wiping her face.  
The door is not completely closed. He can hear them.  
„What happened?“  
„Oh just me getting too emotional.“ Anne gives a weak laugh.  
No!  
That's not it!  
Harry wants to correct her.  
You are right to be emotional.  
I am the one who is wrong!  
He stays silent.  
Elbows on his knees. Face in his hands.  
Rakes fingers through his hair and shakes his head.  
Get on with it!  
We got to go back to London.

He finds himself on the passenger seat half an hour later. Not entirely sure how he got there.  
He remembers hugging his mother goodby.  
He remembers not giving the house even a second look.  
He remembers Gemma’s swollen eyes matching his mothers.  
She doesn’t talk.  
Turns on the radio.  
Giving him an easy out and he takes it.  
Gets his laptop out, plugs in the headphones and starts assembling scenes with help from the timestamps.  
When they reach London the episode is basically done.  
Gemma pulls up in front of his house at 7 minutes after 2 p.m.  
„Thank you“ he mumbles.  
She looks at him. Face blank.  
He squirms.  
Please just let me go up there.  
Tenses when she takes a deep breath.  
„I love you, little brother.“  
Oh  
„I love you too big sister.“  
„Just remember that I am here.“  
He gets the feeling that she doesn’t mean her living in the same city and nods.  
Swallows too.  
Stupid lump in his throat.  
„I expect regular video calls!“ That sounded like a command.  
Her eyes are steely.  
It was a command.  
„Ok.“  
She pulls him into a fast and hard hug.  
„Now go.“  
He nods again.  
Sends her a last „Love you.“ after he got all his things from the trunk.  
She throws him a kiss and pulls away.

He thinks about hot baths, his comfiest clothes and hiding under blankets while climbing the stairs.  
Reaches the top landing with a sigh and stops in his step.  
Someone is sitting there on a tiny stool, polishing shoes.  
The someone looks up and Harry is hit with shining blue eyes.  
Harry stares.  
His neighbor.  
„Hello neighbor.“ his voice is bright and hoarse with a little lilt. He smiles.  
Harry smiles back.  
„Hello.“  
„You look rough mate. Bad day?“  
Harry blinks.  
„A few stressful days.“  
„Days? Plural? Sorry to hear that.“ his eyebrows furrow.  
„It’s ok. I’m back now and can rest a bit.“  
„Back? Oh. So that’s why I wasn’t assaulted with delicious smells these days?“  
Harry snorts.  
„Yes. Gonna start cooking again tomorrow though. Consider yourself warned.“  
„Thank you mate. I appreciate that.“ Harry can practically hear the sass dripping and grins.  
He looks at the shoe dangling from the guys' hands and the rag in his other.  
„What's going on with this?“  
„I’m- polishing shoes?“  
„I can see that.“ Harry chuckles, „But why here?“  
„Oh that. I don’t like the smell of the polish.“ he wrinkles his nose, „Gonna leave them outside tonight. Don’t take them.“ he scowls and then gives him the fakest innocent smile.  
„Well it’s not as if they would fit.“ Harry drawls and points to his noticeably bigger boots with a grin.  
„Uhh- yeah right. Big guy.“ he rolls his eyes and pointedly starts polishing again, showily side-eyeing the big feet.  
Harry laughs, unlocks and opens his door.  
„Have fun polishing and a nice evening to you.“  
„A nice evening to you too, Curly.“ the bright smile follows Harry even after he closes the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry for taking so long.  
> This chapter was hell on me, fought me all the way to the end (also made me cry a few times)  
> Then the BLM movement started inbetween which occupied all my waking thoughts for some days.
> 
> I tried to depict the reality of a youtuber as good as possible but I'm not well versed in the topic so please forgive any wrong explanations.


	4. I am officially done with this week!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After taking so long for the last chapter this one pretty much wrote itself.  
> It's a lot lighter than the last.  
> I hope you are having fun with this.
> 
> Texts are in cursive

Monday. 16th of March

When Louis steps out to retrieve his shoes, a bit later than planned, it’s already afternoon (and two days later instead of one, but Louis couldn’t be bothered, it’s not that he actually needs them anyway), he is greeted with a big white rectangle coming up the stairs. He freezes bend down halfway and follows the unexpected sight with his head.  
A disheveled, black-haired young man emerges when the rectangle gets lowered, he flinches when he sees Louis.  
Louis blinks and looks between him and the other white rectangles that are already leaning against the wall between the two doors. He raises his eyebrows in question.  
„Hey mate.“ the man greets with a loop sided smile and a heavy accent.  
„Hi“ Louis greets back and slowly straightens up. By now he has noticed that all the rectangles are canvases. Only white on the backside.  
„I’m just- uhm- these are a surprise.“  
„Well color me surprised.“ Louis deadpans.  
The guy laughs. „Not for you mate. Sorry.“  
Louis leans forward and tries to inspect the paintings but they are taped off with some kind of thin, half opaque paper. The big one that just arrived seems to consist of big blobs of orange, red and green.  
„You are lucky. I just heard him leave a few minutes ago.“ Louis mutters.  
„Nothing lucky about that mate. I waited for him to leave and sneaked in.“ His dark eyes glint mischievously and Louis laughs.  
„How long did you have to wait?“  
„Not that long to be honest. So you are the neighbor.“ Its a statement. As if he already knows about Louis. As if there had been conversations about him. Louis furrows his brows.  
„Maybe.“  
„Nah you are definitely it. Small frame and super blue eyes. I am Zayn.“ He steps up with a smile and reaches out his hand but stops abruptly. Pulls his hand back with a frown.  
„Louis“ Louis says on a laugh and gives a big wave with his right hand.  
Zayn narrows his eyes in confusion but then chuckles. „Nice to meet you, Louis.“  
„I am not small though.“ Louis states with a serious face.  
„Whatever you say.“ Zayn deadpans and finally leans the big canvas against the others.  
„So you are an artist?“ Louis studiously ignores the jibe at his height.  
„Teacher actually, but I paint for friends.“  
„Nice.“  
„Anyway. I need to get going.“ he gives a small wave, „Nice to meet you.“  
„Likewise. Have a nice day and stay healthy.“ Louis turns, pics up his shoes and goes back inside. Getting a delivery of paintings. His neighbor is really lucky. Or rich. Or both.  
Louis puts away the shoes.  
Actually puts them in the shoe rack where they belong.  
And wanders into the kitchen. Looks around aimlessly, opens the fridge and closes it again on a sigh. He can’t eat again. He just ate half an hour ago. He rolls his eyes and goes back to his workplace. Looks at his list of tasks and groans.  
He is not behind schedule and non of the tasks look particularly appealing, but he also has nothing else to do.  
„Maybe I should have taken on some more jobs.“ he muses, „But then Lottie would probably come here and tie me up.“ he sighs loudly.  
It had taken him a few days to admit that he was going to hard on the working.  
It had taken him another few days to actually stop booking too many jobs.  
Today is the first day where his schedule relaxes a bit and he is already going crazy.  
Without the pressure of a tight deadline, he doesn’t even want to do the jobs. His head is empty and that is without a doubt the worst thing to happen to a writer.  
Louis wails and pulls his hair. „What am I gonna do?“ he exclaims and gets nothing but silence as an answer. He scowls at the wall, door, cabinet. „Well at least you are not answering yet.“ he says to the table.

Louis  
_I am bored  
…  
I AM BORED!  
I am bored  
I am bored  
My head is empty  
I forgot how to write  
_  
Luke  
_You are writing right now  
_  
Louis  
_Oh hy Luke  
How are you?  
Doing good?  
Luke?  
What the fuck  
You can’t just dip like that.  
_  
Luke  
_Sry mate, am busy  
See ya  
_  
Louis  
_-.-  
Anyone else wants to trample on me?  
No?  
Thank you  
_  
Louis curses some more while doing another round through the flat.  
„This sucks.“ he yodels, just for the sake of dramatics. Notices that the hallway has really good acoustics. Walks into the living room to his workspace and starts reading some news, grumblingly taking notes for his weekly column.  
A few hours later, he finishes proofreading a chapter for a self discovery guide, already forgetting what he read, the words simply refusing to stick. He rubs his face forcefully, somehow he had ended up in a hard scowl for who knows how long. He is pinching the bridge of his nose when his phone gives a ding, making him flinch hard.  
„Fockin ´ell“ he exclaims and checks the message.

Niall  
_I just was live on Instagram  
You could have watched that  
_  
Louis  
_I don’t even have Instagram  
_  
Niall  
_Go get it than  
_  
Louis  
_Why?  
_  
Niall  
_You could join my lives and make them even better  
I’m sure my fans would love you  
Lot’s of them are so bored already  
_  
Louis  
_Yay  
Just like me  
_  
Niall  
_I can hear your sarcasm from here  
Also why exactly do we have this conversation again?  
Go make a Instagram account Tommo!  
_  
Louis  
_I dunno what you are talking about mate  
_  
Niall  
_Anyway  
Go make an Instagram account  
Will only take you about 2 hours or so  
_  
Louis  
_…  
_  
Niall  
_Make sure to follow me first  
And turn on my notifications  
_  
Louis  
_Desperate much?  
_  
Niall  
_I love you  
And I want to be your first  
_  
Louis  
_I love you too, freak  
Love your album by the way  
Has some nice lyrics  
_  
Niall  
_HAHAHAHAHA  
_  
Louis  
_How many people are watching your lives anyway?  
_  
Niall  
_Typically more than 100k  
Including some musicians I work with  
And for some reason also MTV  
Tommo?  
Why you just leaving me hanging all of a sudden?  
_  
Oli  
_How much you want to bet that he’s making an Instagram account right now  
_  
Niall  
_HAHAHAHA  
101%  
HA!  
HE ACTUALLY DID  
He just followed me  
That was fast  
No way!  
Tommo!  
Why am I the second one?  
I-  
_  
Oli  
_What happened?  
_  
Niall  
_He followed rainbowunicornvideos first  
_  
Oli  
_Ok  
Sounds cute  
_  
Niall  
_[Their last video](https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_OUVBiba/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) is a hydraulic press with a glowing piece of metal crushing (and setting on fire) a roll of toilet paper  
_  
Oli  
_BWAHAHA  
_  
Louis  
_It’s art  
_

Louis decides to clean house a bit.  
Louis actually cleans house a bit.  
Which means he picks up all the clothes and random stuff that lie wherever he left them, which is everywhere, and puts them where they belong.  
„Tedious.“ he mumbles repeatedly „Why am I doing this?“

Tuesday, 17th of March

The next day he is greeted with a grey sky.  
„Yay.“ he mumbles and puts on Heartbreak Weather. That ought to lighten the mood.  
It does.  
He spends his morning looking through his emails and answering them. Affirms two requests from old customers, gets himself a snack around 11 and starts reading the news.  
Proofreading the last 3 chapters of the self-discovery guide and two cups of tea later he feels his stomach rumble. It's after 3 already and Louis grumbles. He hasn’t really eaten yet.  
„Someone bring me food. I feel faint.“ he exclaims while walking to the kitchen. Fake fainting against the wall. Completely with a limp hand to the forehead. When he is about to open the pantry he hears soft shuffling from the hallway.  
He walks three steps backwards into the hallway.  
The shuffling sound gets louder.  
He walks a few more steps backward, rounds the corner.  
There is some sniffing happening.  
Louis furrows his brows.  
What the fuck.  
„What the fuck.“ he turns around, takes the last step and opens the front door.  
No one is there.  
No shuffling sounds.  
No sniffing.  
„What the“ he leans outside. The landing is silent and empty, not counting the paintings who still lean against the wall peacefully.  
He closes the door, turns around and stops.  
There is a bunny.  
In his hallway.  
A bunny in his hallway.  
It looks at him.  
„Hi.“ he squeaks.  
The bunny twitches with its nose.  
„How are you?“ Louis's voice is back to the non-squeaky territory, he clears his throat for good measure and crouches down.  
Bunny looks around. Twitches its nose a bit more.  
Louis extends his hand slowly.  
Bunny takes a step forward and stretches out to sniff.  
Another step.  
He feels the whiskers. It's tickling.  
„Hey bunny.“ he coos and the bunny takes another step towards him.  
Louis scratches its head, softly smiling. Reaching a bit forward he gets a grip on its neck and picks it up, resting it on his arm, against his chest.  
„Hi there, beautiful. Wanna go look for your parents?“  
Bunny twitches a bit more with its nose.  
Louis scratches a bit more on its neck.  
He opens the front door, walking outside on sock-clad feet, to a loud pubescent screech. „WHO LEFT THE DOOR OPEN?“  
„Guess that answers where you belong, doesn’t it?“ Louis chuckles and gives the bunny a boop on the nose. He starts walking down the stairs when the other door opens and a curly head appears. Looking at him with startled eyes.  
„WHERE DID HE GO?“ another pubescent screech. Louis gives a finger wiggling wave to his neighbor who smiles at him and focuses on the bunny. Louis pets the bunny, fingers digging deep into the soft fur and smiles with a shrug at his neighbor.  
„YOU CAN’T LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN WHEN GENERAL CUSTARD IS OUT!“  
„General wha-?“ Louis scrunches his face in confusion. To spare the house any more screeching he leans over the rail and shouts down: „I’ve got the bunny!“  
„Oh god!“ another exclamation and he hears several feet run up the stairs. First to reach him is the big boy of Emilia, directly followed by her smallest daughter. „Oh thank god.“ the boy squawks again and Louis places the runaway in his hands.  
„Thank you!“  
„What’s his name?“ Louis inquires with a raised eyebrow, his head tilted sideways.  
„General Custard.“  
„Really?“  
„Because he looks as if he had lain in custard.“ the small one explains with an air of importance.  
„Of course.“ Louis deadpans. „Your general intruded into my home, you know.“  
Both their faces go big-eyed and they take a step backward „That means no custard for him for at least a week.“ Louis orders and winks at them. Both erupt into elated giggles, the boys' sounding positively torturous, and thank him again.  
The boy is already halfway down the next flight of stairs when the girl turns around, her face now very solemn.  
„Please stay healthy Mr. Tomlinson. We are going to miss you.“  
„Miss me?“  
„We are going to our grands for the next weeks until it is safe again, says mum.“  
„Oh“ Louis remembers that their mum is a nurse. He hadn’t thought of how the situation affected her children. „That's a good idea. You stay healthy also please.“  
„We will do that Mr. Tomlinson. Bye.“ she waves at him with a toothy smile (well not so toothy because most of them are missing) and jumps down the last stairs.  
„Mr. Tomlinson.“ Louis mutters and rolls his eyes while turning back.  
He looks up to see the right side door is still open and green eyes are fastened on him.  
„So you saved a bunny?“ his voice is deep and he talks so slow that it feels like molasses.  
"I removed an intruder." Louis states seriously, coming to a halt at the last step.   
Curly tilts his head and pulls his eyebrows together.   
"He was breaking and entering." Louis exclaims in mock outrage, "sneaked right past me when I opened the door."  
Curly snorts and breaks out laughing. It's throaty and loud and doesn't fit his intense stare at all. Louis likes it.  
"So you saved yourself."  
"I did." Louis puffs out his chest and earns another chuckle. He smiles and his stomach rumbles.   
Curly’s eyes get big "I heard that. Go get some food hungry fighter!"   
Louis laughs, throws him a win and proceeds to walk to his door.   
"You should get those inside by the way." he indicates the canvases with his chin.  
"What? Aren't those yours?" he looks very confused.   
"Nope. But I can take them if you don't want them."  
His mouth suddenly rounds just like his eyes. "Oh. Ohhhh!“ and then his face splits into a huge smile, dimple popping deep as a crater and eyes sparkling. He also hops up and down in excitement. Which. Really. Louis can't help but smile with him.   
"Have a nice day Curly."  
"Oh, oh, thank you. You too," he answers distractedly, already picking and pulling at the protection paper from the big canvas with shining eyes to see what's underneath.   
Louis hears him juggle the huge thing into his flat while he goes back into the kitchen for some food. 

Wednesday, 18th of March

The next morning, it’s Wednesday, the sky looks again a bit dreary but it’s reasonably warm and Louis is contemplating to go for a walk. While drinking his first tea of the day, steaming cup in his hand he looks out the window, listening to the weather forecast. It predicts rain for tomorrow so he decides that the walk is gonna be now or never. Equipped with his thick blue jacket and favorite beanie, black with a cable pattern, he does a little detour to the nearest bakery for an egg sandwich and water and heads towards Colne Valley. The weather is actually really nice. Still a little cold but the air is fresh and the sun is visible through the thin cloud cover. Louis takes deep breaths and feels his head clear. His legs remember what it feels like to actually walk after about 10 minutes and his blood starts to pump stronger. It’s altogether the best idea he had in weeks.  
After about an hour of walking, he finds himself a nice bench to sit. It’s right beside a group of trees that are still bare, their tiny branches clicking together from the occasional gust of wind. He eats his sandwich and reads some news on his phone. Scoffing at the idiocy of politicians and taking lots of notes. Sometimes he looks up to look at passerby's, twice even getting a sniffle from interested dogs who he pets with a soft smile and changes a few words with their owners.  
When he is about to leave back home he hears a rustling beside him. He looks at the tree and sees a rapid movement on the trunk.  
A squirrel.  
It looks at him.  
He looks at it.  
Its coat is dark and shiny.  
„Hy beauty.“  
The squirrel hisses.  
Louis scowls in confusion, looks around, expecting to see a dog but no one is around. When he turns back the squirrel is gone. Weird.  
He gets up and turns to the path that gets him home fastest. In the middle of it, sits the squirrel, very close to him, hissing again.  
Louis raises his hands and backs slowly away „I’m leaving already. No sweat.“  
The squirrel follows.  
What the fuck.  
Louis backs away a bit more, eyes fixed on the squirrel.  
It follows, now hissing louder and getting a bit to close for Louis taste.  
„What the fuck mate. Leave me alone.“ he stomps his foot.  
That stops the approach. Also stops the hissing.  
When it starts edging closer, he stomps again, twice, waving his hands around for good measure. „Fock off.“ he exclaims and the squirrel retreats.  
Louis keeps an eye on it while walking on the outer edge of the path till he is a good distance away and the squirrel is back in its tree.  
„What the fuck.“ he grumbles and shakes his head.

The rest of the day proceeds to be uneventful.  
At least until mid-afternoon when Louis hears his name called very loudly from the stairwell.  
„What now?“ he grumbles while walking to the front door. Already knowing who is calling and with a good idea as to why.  
He places the dented book between frame and door, and steps to the railing. Leans over to look down and as expected sees Ms. Bagshot peering up at him.  
„How can I help you?“ Louis asks loudly with a smile.  
„My grandson send me another of those messages.“ she looks up at him pleadingly.  
„Again?“ Louis rolls his eyes and descends the stairs.  
„Is it always the same grandson?“  
„What?“  
„The same grandson again?“ Louis asks louder, his words echoing through the house.  
„Yes, yes. I only have that one.“ she nods hard.  
Louis scowls and reaches for the phone and notepad that she already has in her hand. Sits down on the steps to listen to the voice mail, writing it down in shorthand on the yellowish notepad.  
„May I“ he stops himself, looks up at her and starts again a little louder „May I send him a message to stop sending voicemails?“  
She looks at him in confusion and then breaks out into a smile. „Ahh yes, please. He doesn’t seem to listen to me when I tell him.“  
„Funny. Can hear but doesn’t listen.“ Louis mumbles and then turns back to her, raising his voice again. „How old is he?“ Louis inquires.  
„15 if I remember correctly.“  
Louis nods and starts to record. „Now listen here you little shit.“ there is a snort coming from above. Louis looks up but doesn’t see anyone. „In case you forgot. Your gran is nearly deaf so every time you send her a voicemail she comes to me to get a transcript. This is me asking you very politely to stop this shit. Get your fingers moving pal!“  
When Louis hands her the note with the transcript the right-side door opens, a middle-aged man stepping out slowly.  
„Hy George. Sorry for being loud. How is it going?“  
„It’s ok, it’s ok. Good job on giving him a piece of mind.“ he motions toward the phone with his hand, „Pain is a bit bad today. Might have overdone the exercise yesterday.“ he widens his eyes and lets out a cackle.  
Louis laughs with him „Don’t overdo it then.“  
„But the sun was out and that was really nice.“  
„It’s time that it gets warmer, isn’t it?“ Louis says while turning back to Ms. Bagshot who has her face scrunched in concentration to hear them.  
„It really is.“ both agree, „Summer sun will surely help with this corona thing.“ she says.  
Louis gives them both a nod and a wave. „Gotta get back to work. Have a nice day and don’t train for the Olympics.“ he winks at George.  
„Hahaha, can’t promise that, lad.“ George cackles.  
„Thank you, Louis.“ Ms. Bagshot says.  
„You are welcome.“ Louis calls over his shoulder, already on his landing. The right side door is closed and he chuckles to himself.

Louis  
_I swear this house is hell bend on making me loose me mind  
I am officially done with this week!  
I want it over with!  
Someone please press fast forward so we’ll have Sunday!  
_  
Oli  
_What happened?  
_  
Louis  
_Better ask what didn’t happen  
Monday I see a big canvas walking up to our landing, joining its brothers and sisters who where already leaning against the wall  
_  
Oli  
_Uhm ok…  
_  
Louis  
_Turns out it was a sneaky delivery for my neighbor, who’s name I still don’t know by the way, from his teacher friend who looks like he could be modeling for something expensive and golden  
_  
Luke  
_Hear hear  
_  
Louis  
_Luke you treacherous friend  
Of course you come out of hiding when I talk about a good looking guy  
_  
Luke  
_Of course hahaha  
_  
Louis  
_Anygay on the same day my whole friend group ignores my cry for help to conquer boredom  
On Tuesday I have a bunny breaking and entering into the flat …  
_  
Oli  
_Excuse me what?  
_  
Louis  
_Bunny  
Breaking&entering  
Into our flat  
Turns out he is from the Jenkins household and his name is General Custard  
_  
Niall  
_Really?  
_  
Louis  
_Niall, is it coincidence that I mention food and you appear in 2 seconds flat?  
_  
Niall  
_Nope. Not at all.  
Please continue your story  
_  
Louis  
_Then today I went for a walk in the valley and got attacked by a squirrel  
_  
Oli  
_What?  
_  
Luke  
_Oh shit.  
Are you ok?  
_  
Louis  
_Yeah I’m ok  
I didn’t let it come close  
But really  
Aren’t they supposed to be cute? And friendly??  
_  
Niall  
_Not this one apparently  
_  
Louis  
_Apparently  
And just now, to top the week off  
_  
Luke  
_It’s only Wednesday  
_  
Louis  
_Oh you don’t say  
I don’t care. This week is officially over. The next three days are cancelled and officially don’t exist.  
_  
Luke  
_Okeeeey  
_  
Louis  
_As I was saying, just now, to top the week off I had to transcript another voicemail for Ms. Bagshot because her grandson doesn’t care that she is basically deaf  
_  
Oli  
_Again?  
_  
Louis  
_Again!  
And this time I left him a voicemail to get his fingers moving  
_  
Oli  
_Hahaha good idea  
_  
Louis  
_So as I said  
This week is cancelled  
_  
Niall  
_I’m going live in a few  
You can join me Tommo  
_  
Louis  
_Oh yes please  
I can sass off on your fans  
_  
Niall  
_Maybe better not join than  
_

Louis does join, even though it takes him half an hour to figure out how to apply to be added to the live. Niall’s fans, who found his struggles with working Instagram a bit too funny, are now providing some really good questions. Louis had expected a lot of vapid questions like  
„Who do you date?“  
„Who is your favorite female celeb?“  
„What do you like in a woman?“  
But instead, there is a lot of „Which song did you like writing the most?“  
„How did you two end up working together?“  
„What inspires you the most?“  
„Will you be working together again?“ Which Niall answers with an immediate and booming YES! Making Louis blush and grin.  
So they end up talking working together, lyrics and Louis sasses Niall out, which, to his surprise, his fans like a lot.  
„Do you like to see Niall suffer?“ he asks them.  
The answers come fast, all along the same line: „He looks happy with you“ „You make him laugh“.  
„It’s literally the easiest thing ever to make Niall laugh.“ Louis states with an eye roll.  
„They do love to see me happy.“ Niall smiles at him and Louis feels very soft all of a sudden.  
„I do like to see you happy too mate.“ he smiles.  
After that, his follower count jumps from 1 (Niall) to 5833. Which is. Ok. Louis closes the app and makes himself dinner. Grumbling once again that the smells wafting over from his neighbor don’t line up with his chosen food, which this time is chicken sandwich.

Thursday, 19th of March

The Thursday behaves as if it heard Louis’ complaint and becomes the most boring day ever. Nothing happens.  
No drama.  
No sneaky animals.  
It also rains the whole day.  
He doesn’t get any new customers.  
No complaints either.  
And the manuscript he is supposed to review is hell bend on making him fall asleep.  
At 4 he decides to call Lottie because he wants to cuddle and talking with her is the best alternative for that right now.  
They talk for two hours while Louis drinks tea and watches raindrops crawl down the window.  
In the evening he hears the neighbor sing, which is a new thing. His deep voice mingling perfectly with the songs playing. Louis likes to hear it. It’s ABBA songs. And that does a lot to lift his mood. He still feels like someone stuffed his head with grey cotton when he goes to bed though. What a weird week.

Friday, 20th of March

He starts the Friday off with putting on music, some old favorites from Oasis, and that turns out to be a very good idea. He is energized and very motivated which carries all through email checking and answering, takes a small dip when he reads the news but flares up again when he writes his column. Which might or might not turn out a bit more sarcastic than usual and also might or might not turn out to be longer than usual but the publication gives him the ok for up to 800 words. Which is nice. He appreciates that. Sassing out politicians is his favorite past time and getting paid to do it is even better.  
Because the weather is nice again and the air is still fresh from the rain he decides to sit on the balcony and work from there for a bit.  
He finds himself staring up at the sky, all bundled up in the blue jacket and beanie again, the laptop steadily warming his trainers clad legs, watching birds and clouds when he hears a door open to his right. He turns his head just in time to see his neighbor jump and squawk when he sees him.  
„Hi“ Louis giggles, watching him clutch his chest and breathing heavily.  
„Holy shit. I’m sorry. I just- Oh man sorry. Nothing against you.“ he raises his hands in apology and starts to laugh in between gasping breaths.  
„You ok?“  
„Yeah yeah. Just give my heart a moment.“ he puts his hand on the railing, leaning forward, smiling sheepishly. „I’ve never seen you out here. Didn’t expect you.“  
„Well I wasn’t out here since last year so your expectation was very much in tune with reality. You come out here often?“  
„Every day. Need the fresh air and the sky overhead.“ he looks up, eyes squinting against the sun and then back down at Louis, smiles. Louis makes a non-committal sound, looking back up at the sky too and taking in the clouds. „It’s nice.“  
„I’m Harry.“  
Louis looks back at him, feels slightly uneasy by the intense stare he receives.  
„Nice to meet you, Harry. I am Louis.“  
„So I heard.“ Harry chuckles.  
„Hehe. Ms. Bagshot can be a bit loud if she wants to. But she is a nice lady.“  
„Is it normal for her to call you like that?“  
„A bit yes.“ Louis snickers, „It’s a bit weird but it works for us and she doesn’t have to take the stairs just because someone disregarded her disability.“  
„That shouldn’t happen in the first place!“ Harry scowls „It’s nice that you help her with that.“  
Louis just shrugs his shoulders. „She taught me shorthand and I use it to transcript her dump grandsons voice mails.“  
Harry looks at him, face relaxed.  
„To be honest her grandson is a nice fella. His voicemails are really sweet and caring. He just forgets her ears a tad too often.“  
They fall silent.  
„Your nose is red.“ Harry says out of the blue.  
Louis smiles at him confusedly. Apparently the topic changed. He twitches his nose and rubs it with his sweater sleeve.  
„Been sitting out here for a while now. Maybe I should move a bit.“ he shuts his laptop, gets up and places it on the chair. Stretches with his hands in the air with a groan, takes a step to get to the railing, proceeds to alternately stretch his legs out in an angle behind him, his hands on the rail, straightens up and swings his hips a few times from side to side. „That should be enough.“ he winks at Harry, who snorts a laugh.  
They both stand there for a while. Leaning on the rail in silence.  
„This week was quite loud.“ Harry eventually says. It’s not a question but he leaves it hanging in the air like one.  
„Usually it’s a bit quieter here.“ Louis responds.  
„You mean to say“ Harry turns so he faces Louis completely, his elbow resting on the rail, feet crossed, „you don’t have bunnies breaking and entering into your flat on a regular basis?“  
„I actually don’t. Can’t imagine why though. I’m a nice fella. Didn’t even report him.“ Louis turns sideways to face Harry.  
Harry nods slowly. „That was really nice of you. I am sure the“ he chuckles „ general appreciated that.“  
„I should have reported the squirrel tho.“ Louis muses.  
„The squirrel?“ Harry narrows his eyes, „Don’t tell me there was also a squirrel in your flat.“  
„ Oh no.“ Louis resolutely waves the thought off with his hand. „I went outside two days ago and was attacked by one in the valley.“ Louis indicates towards the general direction of the park.  
„Attacked?“ Harry's mouth hangs open.  
„Well he tried but I fought him off.“ Louis states and puffs out his chest.  
Harry snaps his mouth shut. His eyes are dancing, lips starting to quiver.  
„It’s not funny Curly.“  
„No?“ Harry presses out with a squeak, his dimple going deeper with the strain of holding his mouth shut and the laugh inside.  
„Do you know how big their teeth are?“ Louis exclaims in outrage and that does it. Harry bursts out laughing, doubles over even.  
Louis laughs with him.  
He also feels something settle inside.  
„You’ve got quite the eventful animal week.“ Harry says when he eventually calms down.  
„I do.“ Louis confirms with a nod and turns back to look outside. „At this rate, I would not be surprised if one of them crows decided to land on here.“ Louis taps on the rail right between his arms „and started lecturing me about society's shortcomings in animal care.“  
Harry snorts but then one of the crows in a nearby tree gives a particularly loud crow and they turn to look at it in surprise.  
„I think“ Harry rumbles, „he agreed.“ and Louis snickers.  
„Surely he does. Even though he has a very good life here in the city. Whining at a high level.“  
Harry nods solemnly „True.“  
They are both leaning on the rail. Harry on one foot. Right foot lazily scratching his left lower leg, fingers fiddling with his rings. Louis slowly swaying from side to side, absentmindedly picking at a bump on the rail.  
Neither is looking at the other.  
They are watching the crows bicker with each other.  
Breathing in the fresh air.  
Thoughts wandering.  
„I’ve missed talking with people.“ Louis shuts his mouth with a snap. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud.  
„Me too.“ Harry agrees softly.  
Louis glances at him but focuses back on the crows when Harry stirs.  
Harry ruffles through his hair and sticks his nose up in the air to take a deep breath.  
„Would you like to meet up out here again?“ Louis asks. „I mean I don’t know, maybe if you are alone like me we could keep each other from going crazy.“  
„I am alone like you“ Harry answers slowly, his brow furrowing, „and I would like to meet up out here again.“  
They glance at each other and smile.  
„Having people in chats is not the same. Not even video chats. Something is always missing.“  
Louis nods in agreement.  
„It’s nice to have the technology to meet up digitally though.“  
„Yeah it is.“  
A song starts playing from Harry's back pocket. It’s a classical piece, very cute, Louis knows it but before he can identify it Harry has taken his phone out and swipes up. „Sorry Li, I forgot the time. I’m coming on now.“ he talks into the phone slowly.  
He nods towards Louis and goes inside.  
Louis gets his laptop and the chair and does the same.

Louis  
_Forget what I said about cancelling all remaining days of this week  
Today is a good day  
_  
Niall  
_Oh?  
_  
Louis  
_Long story short  
Neighbors name is Harry  
And we’ll meet up on our balconies for direct communication to avoid going crazy  
_  
Oli  
_YES!  
Awesome  
_  
Niall  
_Sweet  
_  
Louis  
_I didn’t expect that much enthusiasm Oli  
_  
Oli  
_We where just getting worried about you  
You are the only one who is distancing alone after all  
_  
Louis  
_ok  
_  
Niall  
_Hahaha I could hear that eye roll  
Tommo we just love you and want you safe  
_  
Louis  
_I am safe  
Have a nice flat here  
Some crazy people in the same house  
Lovely friends who annoy me daily  
And now I also have a talking in person buddy  
_  
Luke  
_Awesome  
Good for you Tommo  
_  
Louis  
_Ok enough  
I gotta go work a bit more  
See you later  
_  
Niall  
_bb  
_  
Oli  
_later  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting a bit self concious about this so if you could leave a comment that would be really awesome. Even just to ask when something isn't clear.  
> I'd love to hear your opinions.
> 
> Anygay thanks for reading. I appreciate that very much.


	5. Instagram lives and Zoom calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texts are in cursive

Thursday, 19th of March

Harry is bored.  
The Wednesday episode has been uploaded right on scheduled time yesterday and is received quite well. The comments mostly thank you’s from the viewers for giving them something to do. There are quite a lot of conversations blooming under the video, even though Youtube is not that suited for it.  
Harry has been reading comments on his last episodes for an hour now. Occasionally answering or liking one but mostly gauging reactions, noting requests, and getting an overall feeling for how the changes are received. There are some who complain, of course, even some who say that Corona is a load of bullshit and he should just ignore it. He had expected those but they are actually few and far between, most comments are very nice and understanding.  
The Homes Chapel episode has been received a lot better than he expected, it’s already up to half a million views after only 4 days, if it keeps gaining like this it will go up into his top ten most popular videos. When he points that out to Liam in a text it takes only seconds for him to answer.  
A simple  
_Duh_ with an eye roll emoji.  
Harry huffs and rolls his eyes as well.  
Ok, yes Liam had predicted that getting to know Harry in a more private setting would go very well with his audience, and of course, he was right. Harry wonders for the umpteenth time how a former student of engineering, who never had any lectures on marketing, market positioning, or anything promotion-related really, is so good at these very same topics, but well, he shouldn’t be too surprised. Seeing as Harry definitely never had lectures on presenting, cooking, or entertaining either.  
He points that out to Liam who answers after a few minutes.

Liam  
_It’s called observation skills H. You have those too. You just use them differently._

Harry  
_?_

Liam  
_It’s what makes you so good with people. You always know what to do to make them feel special and seen._

Harry  
_I never thought about it like that. Just did what felt right._

Liam  
_And that’s what makes you so likable. You are just you and people sense that._

Harry opts out of reacting to that. He doesn’t feel like blushing right now.  
And he is still bored.  
The topic and schedule for the next episode are decided, he only needs to do some short scenes tomorrow, the main filming will happen on Saturday.  
He doesn’t need to do any more research, the topics for the next five videos are set, and in preparation and planning farther ahead doesn’t make sense. Seeing as he always includes his viewers' requests.  
He has cataloged the most common requests and went through the comments for over an hour now.  
For the tenth time today, he checks his task manager, unsurprisingly no new tasks have appeared.  
He knows there is really no reasoning in checking it so often as he and Liam are the only people who can add anything and Liam has already given him the ok for all the plans.  
„ARGH“ Harry throws his head back and rubs over his face in exasperation „What am I gonna do?“  
He contemplates going for another jog, but the rain doesn’t look like it wants to let up any time soon, and getting drenched once a day is already enough. What he really wants is to talk with people.  
He misses being outside. A lot.  
But he misses meeting new people even more.  
He gets up and walks from the living room to the kitchen and back again. His socked feet making soft noises on the hardwood floor and tiling. His mind is wandering to when they were on the road and could create so much more content. Engaging with the viewers was so much easier. He abruptly stops, mind and body coming to a sudden halt. His eyes fixed unseeingly on his couch.  
Engaging with viewers.  
He thinks of how his Instagram has definitely seen better days. Nothing much is happening, his stories are notoriously empty these days.  
He somehow, kind of randomly, also remembers how he had talked with Liam about his mother. How it might help alleviate her fears to talk with someone who isn’t as close as family.  
With two strides he is back at the living room table, picks up his cellphone, and dials up Liam’s number.  
Liam picks up on the third ring.  
„That is unusual.“ no greeting. Harry never calls these days. Liam probably thinks something has happened.  
„Just for a quick question. What do you think of me doing an Instagram live? We don’t really have anything to push on Insta right now and people will need a bit of distraction. I have seen some musicians who go live now more often to connect with their fans and its really nice. It helps with the uncertainty. And I’m bored out of my mind. I need to meet new people. Even if it’s just through a screen.“  
„Uhm- that actually sounds like a good idea. When would you want to do it?“  
„Today. If it works out we could make it a weekly thing and put it on the old En Food vlog slot.“  
„Sounds like a good idea. Do you need a concept?“  
„No no. I just want to connect. Nothing planned. Just me being me and engaging with fans. Also trying to see if there is a demand for this kinda thing.“  
„Mhhh. Ok. Nice idea.“  
„Ok good. Thank you, Li. Love you. Gonna go live in a few minutes, tune in.“  
„I will. Love you too H.“

Harry positions his phone on the counter, foregoes the knobbly legged tripod as to make it look more personal than his cooking videos. It faces the stove and covers part of the counter and cupboards behind him. He makes sure there is no glare from the lighting and starts the live.  
This is not his usual approach, usually, there is a plan as to what is supposed to happen, even if it’s just „Hey we are in this village, this granny invited us to her home and will cook for us. Let's see what we can learn from her“. His stomach drops at the realization that he doesn't know what will happen and he looks at the screen with big eyes for a moment. But then his brain kicks back in. He shakes himself minutely and decides that it’s better to get busy than to stare at the screen.  
„Gonna wait until some people have joined.“ he waves into the camera with a grin and draws out the next word „and make some hot cocoa in the meantime.“ he steps away to reach the stove, puts the saucepan on and assembles all the ingredients.  
„Cocoa powder, 100% cocoa. A bit of salt, sugar, and water. Start off with a bit of water, put that on heat and stir in the cocoa, sugar, and salt.“ He does just that. „Stir until its creamy because clumps will be like bitter flour bombs.“ he grimaces and shudders into the camera and checks the viewer numbers. They are at a hundred already. His eyes go wide for a second.  
„Oh wow. So many already. Hello there.“ he takes a deep breath and smiles. „Because today is a particularly rainy day, a very regular London day if I’m being honest.“ he tags on and shrugs into the camera, „I will add some chili into the mix to get the heat up.“ He cuts a fresh chili in half and throws it into the mixture after removing the seeds. „No seeds because we don’t want it to be volcano hot.“ He adds the rest of the water and stirs.  
„To round the whole thing off I’ll add a bit of vanilla and cardamom.“ He reaches for the corresponding containers under the counter and looks into the camera, checking the viewer number again (it’s up to 300 now) and turns off the stove.  
„Hello hello, my dears. I thought we could hang out a bit today. I am not quite sure what is possible to do on a live but“ he stretches the last word. „I intend to find out.“  
When he is done adding the final ingredients, Harry leans, arms crossed, on the counter in front of his phone and reads through the comments that are now coming in. There are lots of hello’s and waving hand emojis.  
„So.“ Harry draws the word out and waves at the screen distractedly „I am really bored and isolating has me in a weird mood.“ he pinches his bottom lip while reading.  
„Oh hi, Liam. Thank you for joining.“ he flashes a big smile to the camera. „Yes I did make hot cocoa.“ his grin grows broader and he winks. „Liam loves hot cocoa, but somehow he can’t make it himself. Always messes it up. Maybe now is the time to learn it Li.“ he explains to the viewers.  
Harry pinches his lip a bit more and hums softly to himself. „Why do you use water and not milk?“ he reads a comment quietly. „I make hot cocoa with water because that's how it originally was done and water is often easier to come by when I’m on the road. I got used to it that way. If I wanted to stick completely to the roots I would also have to omit the sugar, but that is a bit too bitter for my taste. If you don’t like the taste with water you can always use milk. You just have to be more careful of it boiling over.“ Harry lets his eyes wander away from the camera, as to avoid being distracted by other incoming comments. „Same goes for plant-based kinds of milk. If you use naturally sweet plant milk, like rice, you can skip or at least reduce the sugar or you could always use honey if you prefer that. And if you cook those a little longer, especially oat milk, it will thicken up, which is always a nice touch.“  
Harry straightens up to get his cup from the cupboard, adds a little twirl to the step just because he can, and pours himself the steaming cocoa through a strainer. „This is really not a science. Just try out what you like. Use your favorite spices, your favorite sweetener. You will end up with something that is a whole lot better than the store-bought cocoa mixes and definitely healthier than those too.“ he leans forward on the counter again, hands around the hot cup, lips pursed to blow at the steam and snorts at the next comment, coming from Liam.  
„He got used to the water version because he once tried making cocoa with goat milk and that was honestly one of the worst concoctions he ever did.“  
„Thanks for bringing that back up Liam.“ Harry drawls with a scowl that soon enough dissolves into a grin and chuckle.  
„What if I want to add pepper?“ Harry reads aloud after a minute of skimming over the comments and beams, „Go add pepper! It goes very well with the bitterness of the cocoa, just like the chili I added today. Spicy chocolate is really good.“ Harry draws out the last two words for emphasis.  
„You can also just omit the sweet completely and go spicy if you want to. Chocolate really works in all settings and is always good for the mood. The best natural mood booster for all of us and that's something we all need now a lot more than usual.“ Harry pauses to scratch his chin and read the comments.  
„How are you all doing with the corona situation?“ he eventually asks.  
He has to wait a bit for the first answers to come in. Most of them are variations of „Kind of ok but not happy with it“, some actually write longer texts, sharing their personal circumstances, that he can barely read. New comments keep coming in, pushing the others out of sight.  
„It is quite a weird situation, isn’t it? Like we know it makes sense to stay home and keep our distance to people, to keep everyone safe. But it doesn’t feel right.“ he takes a sip from the cocoa.  
„Humans are social beings in the end. I know some people prefer to be alone and I am happy that not everyone has to suffer so much through this situation. I am so used to meeting new people on a daily basis and this right now feels so wrong to me. I stay inside anyway because not doing so could potentially kill people.“ He reads some comments silently, stops at one.  
„You are scared of your whole family being so much together so suddenly and not being able to handle the pressure? I can imagine that being quite scary, especially if you barely see each other on weekdays. There might be some tips about that scenario online already and … oh uhm“ another comment has caught his eye. „Uhm— Francesca seems to have gone through that situation already.“ Harry stops again, a slow smile spreading over his face after a moment of thinking.  
„Francesca, would you want to join me here in the live and talk about that? I think that would be a lot easier than writing comments. If you are comfortable being broadcasted“ Harry lilts the last word up, letting it hang in the air like a question. Francesca answers a simple „Yes“ shortly after and it only takes them 5 minutes to figure out how to add her to the live.  
When her camera engages all that is visible at first is the outline of a head. „Oh wait.“ she says with a heavy accent and turns away from the light in her back. Harry breaks out into a broad smile.  
Her face comes into focus. She looks about 40 years old, hair brown with blond highlights, pulled up into a ponytail, expressive eyes, and a broad mouth that opens on a smile. „Hello Harry.“  
„Hello, Francesca. Thank you for joining.“ Francesca nods. „You are welcome.“  
„You already know how it is to be locked up with your family?“  
„Yes, yes. We live in the north of Italy. We were put into quarantine end of February.“  
„Oh. Did you have cases in your family?“  
„We do. A friend has it but it looks like its a soft case and we lost my nonnina to it in the first week.“  
Harry’s heart plummets. Somehow this makes the whole situation a lot more tangible.  
„I am so sorry to hear that.“  
„She was really old. 100 years. She lived a good life.“ Francesca smiles. It looks halfhearted but genuine. Harry wants to hug her.  
„I kinda want to give you a hug now.“ he states and she laughs.  
„That does not work with the quarantining.“  
Harry chuckles. „Feel virtually hugged than.“ he takes another sip and watches several hug comments come in.  
„You have been locked up with your family for a month now?“  
„Yes, we have. Two school kids, my husband, and me. There was a lot of tension in the start. We are not used to spend more than one day all together.“ Harry hums and nods.  
„It took us a while to find a way. The important part is to make a routine for everyone and talk about problems. That was the biggest step. When we started talking it got easier.“ she takes a breath and rubs at her forehead. „We sit down, talk for minutes what bugs us. Our neighbors made a little box where they throw in little notes with things that upset them and things that they like and talk about that on a family council.“  
„That sounds like a good idea for those who have a hard time talking about problems.“ Harry interjects.  
„Yes that.“ She agrees. „Everyone should also say what they need and expect.“  
Harry hums. „So everyone knows what the other needs and all needs are taken into account.“ Harry looks at the comments for a moment, „What about the kids? How did they deal with it?“  
„The kids were very confused and scared at first. With their cell phones and being on social media all day they heard so many stories from their friends. You needed to talk to them about the situation.“  
„And you might need to talk with them about false information. There are a lot of false articles around who spread misinformation.“ Harry adds and she nods and is silent for a moment.  
„If you are still allowed to go outside for walks: do that! I never was much for taking walks but I started to miss going outside very fast. It is also very good to get the energy out of the kids.“ she winks at the camera with a grin.  
„Jogging, walking, and taking the bike are all good ways to exercise without coming into people contact. Just make sure to keep a distance, no breathing down each others necks, and you are good.“ Harry reads another comment out loud. She nods.  
„What about entertaining the kids?“ he reads another one.  
Francesca frowns for a bit „We did not start extra activities. We just started doing things together. Like washing the dishes, planning for food, looking up things for school work. My husband started to randomly dance around the house with us.“ she chuckles „and I asked my big one to teach me how to play her favorite game on the Xbox. We play that together now.“  
Harry giggles. „That sounds like fun.“  
„It is. I think it’s important to build on the things that are already there. Not to add new things.“  
„That sounds very wise.“  
„Haha that is just me being lazy.“ She laughs and Harry joins in.  
„It’s ok to be lazy though. The situation is bad enough as it is. Be lazy and do things that make you feel good.“  
Francesca gives him a big smile and the screen goes black. Harry frowns at his cellphone for a moment when a sign pops up, asking if he wants to add the video to IGTV or delete it. He chooses to add to IGTV.  
He ponders his options for a minute and decides to take a selfie with him looking puzzled and adds a text to it.  
„Live was ended unexpectedly.  
Thank you Francesca for sharing your experience with us.  
I will be back with another live next week.  
Thursday at 12 a.m. London time“

He feels a lot better after that. It’s not really like meeting new people, the physical closeness is missing, but he feels good about having helped a bit. He smiles to himself while drinking the last sip of cocoa. Maybe he could get into contact with his neighbor a bit he ponders while rinsing the cup and pot and putting them into the dishwasher.  
Not for the physical closeness of course, even though he wouldn’t be opposed to that. Harry just thinks they could have some nice conversations, contrary to the tiny ones rather sarcastic approach to everything he also seems to be very nice and definitely funny. Harry might have to come up with a way to approach him that does not come off creepy though.  
He is still thinking about that when he lets himself fall down on the couch, snacks on the table, zapping through options of movies and series that are on his list. He considers some mindless rewatching of Glee, smiling when he remembers when he watched it for the first time but settles for a documentary about diving and corals. The colors and soft sounds of the undersea scenes soothe him and the rhythmic clicking of the divers' mouthpieces remind him of the last time he dived. That in turn reminds him that he still has to answer Jeff. He’d send him a business proposal that actually sounds interesting to Harry. When the documentary ends he types up follow up questions for Jeff and some ideas of his own and sends them to him. Then makes a call to a childhood friend that he hasn’t spoken too for a while. They end up talking mostly about the uncertainty of the situation and the stress for everyone.  
To lighten the mood Harry decides to listen to some ABBA afterwards. He ends up dancing and singing along to the music. Really, who can ever resist belting out to Dancing Queen? He sure as hell can’t.

Saturday, 21st of March

Louis wakes up from a very loud clank in the stairwell and some hearty cursing that sounds like it comes from 2 floors down but is way too loud anyway. He rubs his eyes on a sigh and leaves the hand resting on his forehead, too lazy to move it. His brain is starting to give signs of waking up, like noticing that the sun has come up already and how whoever made the ruckus is now deadly silent. There is also a delicious sweet smell that he can’t place. Freaking neighbor is at it again. Louis scowls.  
Right.  
He knows his name now.  
Freaking Harry is at it again!  
Why is he up so early and torturing him with these smells?  
Louis whimpers a bit. His stomach rumbles in answer.  
He lets his head fall to the left, slowly opening one eye to see the clock. 8:20. Louis wrinkles his face in disgust, so much to sleeping in on Saturday. He closes his eyes in an attempt to fall back asleep but his stomach rumples forcefully, reminding him that he hasn’t eaten in a while.  
„Ok, ok.“ Louis rasps to the clock, to the sun, to the room in its entirety and rolls out of bed.

He contemplates his plan for the day while drinking his first cup of tea, fries some eggs, and makes some toast.  
As he got woken up so rudely he has some time to check his emails, even though there won’t be many, seeing as its Saturday. At 10 he has his standing reading appointment and at 4 there will be the weekly gaming zoom.  
In between, he will have to cook something for himself and do some cleaning. Even though he tries to do something every day, which is in and of itself already a struggle, the chaos keeps getting bigger and it’s making Louis nervous. He wasn’t aware of how much Oli had done to keep the flat clean and he feels a bit guilty for not appreciating it at the time. He needs to thank Oli for that today. He also might take a few minutes on the balcony. The fresh air yesterday was really good and seeing the sky really has something freeing. 

His inbox is as expected pretty much empty. Just two confirmations for finishing a job and the money being transferred, an email from Grandma Jen, he will read and answer that one after the reading, the usual assortment of newsletters and an email that looks suspiciously like phishing. He ignores that one too logs the two completed jobs as such in his task manager and opens up the zoom room. It’s just after half ten when he sends the invite to Ivonne who promptly writes back, asking if it’s possible to send the link to different devices as some of the kids can’t leave their bed. Louis writes her back with an affirmative and uses the last 20 minutes to read some news.  
At 9:58 an alarm reminds him of the reading, he started using that after he’d fumbled up their first online meeting by getting lost in writing. 20 minutes after the reading should have started Ivonne had finally reached him and he hadn’t stopped apologizing for weeks. Thankfully the kids where saints and had not been mad at him.  
He engages his camera and sound just when the device for the main group does the same. Two other devices are already on and show a bed each. One is, as he expected Isla who he remembers had been scheduled for surgery for a while now. She is cuddled up with an older girl that looks like a bigger copy of her and beside the bed sits a big man who talks to her softly, Louis can only make out a soft rumbling.  
The other one is unexpected. He has to look twice to recognize Callum. The usually loud boy with ruddy cheeks is pale as a sheet now and looks like he is about to fall asleep. A drip is standing beside his bed, as does a heart rate monitor that has been turned silent. Louis watches the blurry numbers for a moment and sighs. Beside Callum sit his parents, both knotted into each other on two chairs, his mothers hand resting on Callum's leg. They look like they intend to stay for the day, which they probably do.  
„Good morning everyone.“ Louis says softly, as to not startle anyone. All eyes turn to him and he is greeted by a chorus of „LOUIS!“ and lots of smiling faces.  
„Hello hello my loves.“ he smiles back, „Is everyone ready?“  
Ivonne crowds into the group screen, smiles at him and gives him a thumbs up „We are online and ready.“  
He gets thumbs up from the two single rooms too and nods.  
„Everyone please remember to not talk in between except if you didn’t understand something.“ he reminds the group. „Now does anyone remember where we left off last week?“  
Several hands raise into the air, Grace follows her hand with her whole body, jumping and waving at him. Louis laughs. „Grace darling you always pay so much attention, but today I will choose Abbigail to give us a rundown of last week.“ he smiles at her to keep her disappointment low and she sits down without complaining, although her pout is clearly visible. Abbigail however looks slightly shocked. It’s the first time she ever interacted even though she has taken part in the readings for months now. Louis smiles encouragingly at her and nods as she takes a deep breath.  
„Last week they went into the forbidden forest to find the wounded unicorn but they found it dead and Voldemort drinking from its blood.“ Several of the kids gasp, looking shocked when she says the name and Louis has to stifle a laugh. „Firenze the centaur rescued Harry and let him ride on him and the other centaurs were angry about that. Harry, Hermione, and Ron think that Snape wants the Elixir of Life for Voldemort and in the end, Harry finds the Invisibility Cloak in his bed.“ Louis is impressed and gives her a big smile. That was very thorough, he doesn’t have to add anything to get the kids back into the flow.  
„Very well, thank you Abbigail that was a very good review. Shall we begin?“ the kids all nod, some giving enthusiastic „Yes!“, their eyes getting big in expectation and Louis reaches for the book, opening it on the marked page.  
Louis lowers his voice and starts to read: „Chapter Sixteen, Through the Trapdoor“ Louis spares another look at the screen. Everyone is silent and looks towards him. He nods and resumes „In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected—“  
Louis easily gets into it, carried away by the story, letting the words flow through him and out to the kids who watch him with rapt eyes. From time to time he looks up to check for uneasiness in their eyes, even though he knows that Ivonne is doing that on-site too. He doesn’t really notice how the time flies, how the light changes in his living room. He only follows the words, giving them form and quality through his voice. Going bright voiced and strong in the exciting scenes and slow and deep when it gets mysterious. The reward is the bright eyes of the kids who follow his every word and are deeply immersed in the story of the three wizards who are battling forces that are so much stronger than them but nevertheless never give up.  
„— For a moment he could see nothing but dark fire - then he was on the other side, in the last chamber. There was already someone there - but it was not Snape. It wasn’t even Voldemort.“  
Louis draws out the name, making it deep and raspy, and falls silent. All eyes are fixed on the screen in stunned silence. When they realize that he is not continuing they groan and whine, some outright protesting „Noooo.“ „What?“ „Oh no. Don’t stop there.“  
Louis grins „This is it for today my loves. Next week we will read the last chapter.“  
„I can’t wait for a whole week!“ Steve exclaims, falling back into his beanbag dramatically, making the kids and Louis laugh.  
„Please remember that if you choose to read the last chapter on your own, don’t spoil it for the others.“ Louis reminds them as usual and everyone nods in agreement. He looks at the screen, sees happy faces, some still dreamy-eyed, Callum having sat up a bit straighter with a bit of color in his cheeks, his mother giving Louis a smile and thumbs up.  
Louis gives a last wave to everyone „Have a nice week and we will see each other next Saturday.“ and ends the session. He leans back in his chair, rubs his face with both hands, and smiles up at the ceiling.  
He misses the kids.  
Misses their hugs when he gets there.  
Misses how usually one of them curls up on his lap or beside him while he reads.  
He also misses their talks about what he read them. Asking them what stood out to them and what they learned from it. What they would have done differently. But the chapters of the Philosophers Stone are too long. He always needs the whole allotted time just to read them. He gets why Ivonne asked him to read the book though. She was hoping that some of the kids would get so interested in the story that they start reading the book series, which already happened with two of them. Louis is sure some more will follow when he ends the book and does not read the second one and that makes him happy. What also makes him happy is that he will be able to read something different in two weeks. Even though he is not quite sure what he will choose yet. Maybe some poems. That would be a nice change.  
He rubs over his face again, scratching his stubbled chin and drinks the last remnant of tea. It’s only a few drops. So he gets up to start the kettle for a fresh tea. While the water comes to a boil he looks out the window into the sunny sky. Closes his eyes and enjoys the warmth on his skin until the kettle screeches.  
With his fresh tea, he goes back to his desk and opens up Jen’s email. It reads a bit like a status report and Louis is glad that it’s not another try to guilt-trip him into coming back to Donnie for quarantine. He can’t really blame her for trying though. He would be scared of the situation too.  
His answer is composed fast, a short rundown of his week, which- really, Louis rolls his eyes again on a huff when he sees it written out like this, and the promise to check in with the twins more regularly when they have to stay home.  
He goes to move the phishing email to the trash when the sender address registers fully in his brain. He squints at it. Aiden? Why would Aiden write him? And why would he start the email with „Dear Mr. Tomlinson“? He opens the email hesitantly. It’s a short text. At least that.  
Louis sighs and starts reading.

„Dear Mr. Tomlinson.  
Today we present you the chance to get in touch with an old but extremely good looking past lover.  
I simple text message is enough to get him to notice you.  
Best regards  
Yours truly  
Aiden Grimshaw“

Louis blinks.  
A few times.  
And scowls.  
Is he for real?  
„He’s got to be kidding.“  
Without further thought, he deletes the email and huffs. „What an idiot.“  
After that, he goes back into the kitchen to look for something eatable.

A few hours later, Louis is in the process of picking up any clothes strewn around the house, he hears the opening sounds of the spiderman song from his cell. Without giving it further attention he proceeds to carry the clothes to the hamper, humming and dancing along to the song. Then runs into his bedroom, where apparently he placed his cell for unknown reasons and stops the alarm. „Why am I always getting interrupted when I get into the flow of tidying up?“ he grumbles to himself, puts the cell into his track bottoms, and walks back into the bathroom to sort the pile of clothes. It’s not much to sort as he’s been wearing tracksuit bottoms, thick wool socks, and hoodies, all in dark colors, for quite a while now. He still ends up with two heaps because it’s just too much to put it into the washing machine in one go.  
„I’m so good at tidying up, tidying up, tidying up.“ Louis softly sings to himself to the melody of the spiderman song while starting the washing machine. Wiggling his bum and checking his hair in the mirror when his cell, again, starts to play the spiderman song, slightly out of time with his own singing. Louis looks confusedly down to where the sound comes from and jumps up when he remembers what these alarms are for. He dashes into the living room, wakes the computer from its slumber, and sets up the zoom room. It’s 10 before 4 when the email goes out.  
Luke is the first to join. „I was starting to think you’d forgotten us.“  
Louis cocks an eyebrow and throws him a kiss hand „Hello to you too Lukas. How was your week?“ he smiles sweetly.  
„Definitely less exciting than yours.“ Luke smiles back just as sweetly and then breaks into a chuckle.  
„You know you can set up these rooms on a schedule, right?“ Lottie joins in the moment her camera engages.  
„Yes, I know Lottie. I just keep forgetting to make the schedule.“ Louis answers on a sigh. Lottie simply rolls her eyes at him and groans.  
„Maybe we should let someone else take over the organization o-.“ Luke offers but Louis cuts him off with a resounding „No! My idea. I’ll organize it!“  
Luke raises his hands to placate. „Ok ok. You are the boss.“  
„Correct. I am the boss.“ Louis smiles brightly. „Anygay. I need to make some tea before I face all of you heathens. See ya in a few minutes.“ he wiggles his fingers to the camera and glides out of frame to the sound of Lottie's giggles.  
It’s 10 after 4 when they finally are all logged in and made themselves comfortable. Louis is mostly busy with opening the website he intends to use for today's game and looking for an appropriate opening for the game while the other 5 catch up on their weeks. When they start to talk about his run-in with the squirrel he unceremoniously shares his screen with them, maximizes the video he chose, and clicks on play. It takes a few seconds to register but then Niall’s laugh fills the chat, swiftly followed by Hopes snort and some muted giggles.  
The video ends. Louis stops the screen sharing, coughs into his fist and starts talking in his best game show host voice. „Hello and welcome to our very special special quarantine play round off“ he pauses for effect „TRIVIA“  
„Yay!“ Clara and Hope exclaim simultaneously and do the jazz hands.  
Niall is still laughing and Luke and Lottie try to hold in their grins.  
„I see we are all very very excited for this round around. Let's start by choosing a topic.“  
Niall has calmed down to a soft chuckle and all of them look at Louis expectantly.  
„The topics are:  
1\. General Knowledge  
2\. Dictionary  
3\. Entertainment  
4\. History  
5\. Food and Drink  
6\. Geography and  
7\. Science and Nature“

„I’d like foo-„ Niall starts but Louis cuts him off.  
„Calm down Irish. Today it’s not you who chooses. I already prepared Hilbert our random generator to help us make this difficult decision. Hilbert if you’d please.“ Niall stares in confusion, then snorts.  
Louis once again shares his screen for a minute to show a random number generator. It lands on 5.  
„Five!“ Louis exclaims „That would be“ he drags out the consonant and starts to rifle through some papers on his desk. „Food and Drink. Are you sure about that Hilbert?“  
„Yes, he is sure!“ Niall cuts in, making Clara and Hope giggle.  
„Well, then it’s decided. The topic for today is Entertainment.“ Louis drones on just to be interrupted by three voices correcting him to „Food and Drink!“ Niall sounding a bit more forceful than the others.  
Louis clears his throat „Ok ok. What a pushy lot. Food and Drink it is then. The rules for todays game are as follows. You will have 4 possible answers for every question and 20 seconds to write down an answer. Whoever has the most points at the end will be crowned the winner.“  
„And what is the price for the winner?“ Luke asks.  
„Whoever wins will get an extra long hug from me whenever it is safe to do that again.“  
„As if you won’t hug us all to death anyway.“ Lottie stage whispers, making everyone smile.  
„True.“ Louis concedes with crinkled eyes. „Anyway. Let's start this show! Everyone, please remember to only hit send on your answer after the time is up.  
Here is the first question:  
Devils on horseback are prunes stuffed with mango chutney and wrapped in what?  
A Swiss cheese  
B Cabbage  
C Pigs ears“ Louis pulls a face.  
„Or D Bacon? Your time starts now.“  
Niall looks very serious while typing his answer, while Hope looks positively uninterested.  
„Aren’t pigs ears like huge?“ Clara mumbles „How big would the prune have to be to be wrapped by one?“ Luke chuckles.  
„Maybe it’s guinea pig ears.“ Hope shrugs and earns a loud exclamation of „NO! How could you say that?!“ by Clara.  
„And time is up.“ Louis drags out the first word. „Send your answers now!  
Niall of course gets it right with answer D, as do Hope and Clara.  
„Luke, did you really answer C?“ Lottie exclaims.  
„I had no clue so I choose the one that was funniest to imagine.“ Luke shrugs making Louis burst out in laughter. He falls back into his normal voice „Well sorry to tell you but the answer is D Bacon. Niall, Hope, and Clara each get a point.“ he giggles and jots it down.  
„Do I get half a point for making the game master laugh?“ Luke quips.  
Louis looks at the camera with a raised eyebrow for several seconds, face unmoving, then turns to the next question.  
„Next question“ he drones. Falling back into his game show host voice. „Which brand of coffee was named after a Tennessee hotel?  
A Maxwell House  
B Starbucks  
C Nescafe  
D Kenco?  
Time starts now!“

20 questions later they are bickering about what to cook. Every one of them got hungry at the mentioning of so much food. Niall droning on about grilled chicken and biryani when Louis snatches his phone and plays the fog horn ring tone to get their attention. The chattering stops slowly. „As our concentration has reached its all-time low. I’d say we come to a conclusion here and crown the winner. Any objections?“  
A unanimous „No“ sounds through the speakers and Louis leans down to check the numbers.  
„Rank 3 with 8 correct answers of 22 is Hope.“ everyone applauds and cheers. Hope nods into the camera with a barely-there smile.  
„Rank 2 with 11 correct answers of 22 is Clara.“ the cheers grow a bit louder.  
„And at rank 1 with a whopping 15 correct answers of 22 is of course“ Louis draws the word out „Niall!“ Louis exclaims loudly and tacks on softly „that little leprechaun.“  
„Oi!“ Niall protests with a laugh while everyone cheers for him.  
„Niall you have hereby won a voucher of me cooking for you once in your lifetime.“ Louis exclaims on a cheer and Niall abruptly stops laughing.  
„I’d rather have the hug please.“ he pleads after a moment, making everyone else laugh.  
Louis just looks at him, lips pouting.  
„Aww Tommo we all know you don’t even like to cook.“  
„Well yeah of course. It’s bloody hard. Not everyone can even make it smell as nice as this one does.“ Louis jabs his pointer finger in the direction of the other flat.  
„Speaking of which.“ Niall starts grinning and shifts a little closer to the screen, leaning in conspiratorial. „Have you asked him yet to share his food with you?“  
„Niall!“ Louis rolls his eyes „I can’t just go up to my neighbor, who I don’t know by the way, and ask him for the food he cooks.“  
„You know his name.“ Niall corrects „And that he is apparently a professional cook who needs guests to cook for. You could suggest to volunteer.“ he shrugs.  
Louis sighs „Niall I know that’s what you would do“ a dull noise from the balcony distracting him „but I wouldn’t“ he mumbles distractedly while craning his neck. Another dull PHWONK, this time a lot louder. „Whot?“  
„Did the squirrel find your balcony?“ Niall teases, making Clara giggle. Louis raises his eyebrow at him, then holds up his pointer finger for them to wait and leaves without another word towards the balcony. Carefully he opens the door and pops his head out. He is greeted by curly hair and a bright smile.  
Louis scans the situation. Harry is standing motionless, right hand resting on the rail between their balconies, his left hand still halfway raised in a fist towards the partition, a feeble plastic-y thing, that only reaches about 30 cm from the wall, his smile turning into a loop-sided grin, left hand abruptly going to the hem of his dark gray jumper. Fiddling with it. His rolled-up sleeves revealing parts of inking on his skin. Louis can’t clearly see what it is but it seems to span half of the wrist at least.  
„Hi— Uhm sorry. Didn’t think about how that uhm— would come over as a bit weird and potentially scary. I did not expect this thing to make such a ruckus.“ Harry rambles with a sheepish grin, rubbing his neck. Louis reverts his eyes back to Harrys' face and stares at him. His mouth also might hang open a bit.  
„I just wanted to ask if you want some of my sweet buns?“ Harry continues and snaps his mouth shut immediately.  
Louis mouth definitely is hanging open now. His buns? He gulps.  
„Your buns?“  
Harry's face turns a lot pinker. „Uhm— I mean.“ he motions towards his flat. „I baked buns this morning and I was just about to freeze them, but then I thought you might maybe like some?“  
Louis stares at him a bit more.  
Replaying the conversation that he had with Niall only a minute ago and also remembering the delicious smell this morning that effectively woke him up. Then he takes in how Harry stands there, eyes studiously on a spot slightly left of Louis, hands fiddling with his rings and he chuckles.  
He steps outside, reaching his arms towards Harry „Gimme.“ he makes grabby hands for emphasis. Harry looks at them, then at Louis face, breaks into a huge smile, all dimples, and teeth, and hurries inside. He comes back with a plate in less than a minute. „They are best when you warm them up for a few minutes.“  
„Thank you, Harry.“ Louis smiles at him while taking the plate.  
„You are welcome, Louis.“  
They both stand there and look at each other. Louis is a bit unsure about how to proceed, then he hears talking from his flat. His brain connects the sounds to, oh yes, he is on a call.  
„Oh uhm— I’m“ he steps towards his door „I’m in a call. Gotta get back to it.“  
„Oh yeah of course. Sorry for interrupting.“  
„No that’s ok. Thanks for your buns.“ Louis raises the plate with a wink and a grin and slips inside. He feels Harry’s eyes follow him while he rounds to the table, sitting back down.  
„Niall look what I got.“ He raises the plate with the buns in front of the camera. Everyone looks and Clara asks „What are those?“  
„Harry’s buns.“ Louis answers with a big grin and Luke snorts. „His what now?“  
Louis puts the plate down while the others giggle. Niall is the first to recover. „I told you to ask him for food.“ he says on a shrug.  
„Well turns out I didn’t even have to ask. He offered by himself.“ Louis grins „But maybe that was a one-time situation.“  
„Make it a repeating occurrence. You need all the good food that you can get.“ Hope deadpans while Louis takes one of the buns and bites into it. His eyes pop wide when his mouth is flooded with a heavy cream that tastes like lemon and something fresh. He groans.  
„Oh my god. These are so good.“ he exclaims and takes another bite.  
„Ok, that’s it! I’m logging out!“ Niall exclaims. „I need food and this little imp is not helping my growling stomach.“ he rolls his eyes and Louis blows him a crumbs heavy kiss.  
„I am in favor of that.“ Hope raises her hand.  
„And next time we do this kind of game lets just blacklist the food questions.“ Luke adds, which earns him nodding and agreeing noises from everyone.  
„I hope you still had a bit of fun.“ Louis says, mouth finally empty from the first bun, his hand reaching for the second.  
„It was a lot of fun, yes.“ Clara affirms.  
„Very much fun yes.“ Niall answers „But I need food now. See you all next week.“ he logs out and the others follow suit with hasty greetings. They are all desperate to get some food. Louis leans back in his chair and bites into the second bun. Groans again when the cream hits his tongue. „Fuck this is way too good.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very sorry for leaving you all hanging. Life got the better of me. I hope I am now through the block and will try to update more regularly again.  
> Thanks for those who stuck with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reading.
> 
> On a side note. I will have to go back and change a (minor) plot point and will also use the chance to correct some bad writing
> 
> Anygay thanks for reading. I appreciate that very much.


	6. 50 questions? More like 28 answers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally start to get to know each other

Sunday, 5th of April

„Good morning Mr. Tomlinson“ the deep but soft voice floats over from Louis’ right. He chuckles and proceeds with folding himself into his designated balcony chair. Balancing the full cup of tea without spilling a drop. When he is sufficiently settled, a pale blue blanket wrapped around himself, he clears his throat and replies with an equally soft „Good morning Mr. Styles.“  
„That was quite the procedure there.“ Harry rumbles and Louis turns to look at him. His feet, clad in off white and pale pink knitted socks with tulips at the heels, are propped up on the railing and his body is slumped into a very unfamiliar, and also very colorful, beach deck chair. An open book is lying, fold-down, on his chest. He wears gray sweaters and a black hoodie with the hood up, a few stray ringlets of brown hair escaping out front, framing his face. He takes a sip from his teacup steadily looking at Louis, his eyes penetrating but soft.  
„You got yourself a deck chair.“ Louis notes and Harry smiles.  
„I actually got myself two deck chairs. In case anyone ever wants to sit with me on my balcony.“  
„Good thinking.“ Louis compliments, „Is the other one as colorful as this one?“  
„It is.“ Harry's smile turning a bit shy.  
„Is it an actual rainbow?“ Louis cranes his neck, but it's hard to make out with Harry's body filling most of the seat „It’s hard to say with your huge body blocking the view.“ he teases and is rewarded with an affronted look.  
„Hey.“ Harry drags the vowel out „I am not huge. You are just tiny.“ Harry scowls, his lips starting to twitch.  
„Tiny?“ Louis gasps and holds his hand in front of his chest in shock. Harry bursts out laughing. The bark like sound getting thrown back from the surrounding houses. He claps his hand over his mouth and looks with wide eyes at Louis who is snickering softly.  
„I’d say our neighbors are awake now.“ Louis deadpans and takes his first sip of tea. The hot liquid feels good in his throat and the hot cup feels good to his fingers wrapped around it.  
He hears Harry snicker. „Likely.“  
Louis looks up at the sky. The clouds hurrying in wisps, the sun for a change visible and sending rays everywhere. He rolls his head sideways to look at Harry who’s eyes are following a bunch of crows that can’t decide whether to sit on a yellow roof or the brown one, 2 houses down. They are very loud about it too. „It is a rainbow.“ Harry says softly and squints at Louis.  
„Nice. I like rainbows.“ Louis says back just as softly.  
„They are my statement pieces for the balcony.“ Harry says with a little more conviction, his jaw jutting forward.  
„That's a very solid choice, Mr. Styles.“ Louis nods and takes another sip from his tea. It has now cooled down to a good temperature. Louis takes 2 deep drags.  
Harry does the same but after one drag his cup runs empty. He scowls at it and starts to get up.  
„You need a mug for your tea.“ Louis states.  
„Huh?“  
„Your cup is tiny. You need a mug so you can stay out here for longer.“  
„You want me to stay out here longer?“  
„Kinda.“  
„Kinda?“  
„A tiny bit.“ Louis raises his hand, pointer finger and thumb barely not touching. He also squints his eyes, pulls his head between the shoulders and purses his mouth. Becoming the embodiment of „a tiny bit“.  
„Maybe we can meet up in the afternoon when it’s a bit warmer.“  
„That sounds like a good idea.“  
„And we could start asking each other questions.“  
„Questions?“ Louis raises his eyebrows „Like: How are you doing?“  
„More like getting to know each other questions. If that's ok? I don’t want to intrude.“  
„Nonono that's ok. That actually sounds like fun.“  
Harry nods and looks at Louis silently.  
„We have been randomly meeting up out here for weeks now and all we talked about is the weather, corona and for some reason these crows.“ Louis waves his hand towards the rowdy bunch of crows.  
„Hehe. We have been talking a lot about them.“ Harry muses, „They must get a bit self-conscious about it by now.“  
„Or they find it amusing how we just don’t talk about each other.“ Louis winks.  
„Uhm— yeah we can’t have that. Some crows laughing about us.“ Harry looks at said crows sideways. „I am a bit busy today though. Does tomorrow at noon work for you?“  
„It does work for me. What are you making today?“  
Harry ducks his head and rubs his neck „Bread.“ he mumbles with a smile.  
„Another one?“ Louis laughs and remembers the one from last week. It was delicious and he is not ashamed to admit that he ate that half bread in less than 48 hours.  
„Yeah but this time it’s sourdough.“  
„Oh.“ Louis's mouth forms a circle „You are advancing.“  
„Let's see if I am actually advancing.“ Harry chuckles, „You’ll know if there are delicious smells wafting over to you.“ He winks at Louis and finally makes it into his flat, leaving Louis alone.  
„I fear that’s exactly what is going to happen.“ Louis sighs and lets his head fall back.

3 hours later he is crawling up the walls, because, just as he expected, the smells wafting over from Harry are mouthwatering and Louis knows by now that nothing he can make for himself will settle the craving for what Harry made. He practically sprints to the balcony when he hears the other door open.  
Yes, he did leave his balcony door a gap open just to hear when Harry comes out. Sue him.  
Harry looks at him stunned when Louis barrels outside and then starts to laugh. „Would you want to taste some of the bread I made, Louis?“  
„You are a demon.“ Louis growls „Of course I want. Now stop torturing me. Please.“ the last word comes out more than just a bit whinny. Louis doesn’t care.  
Harry is back in less than a minute, with a pale grey plate. 2 thick slices of bread, with butter and some green stuff, sprinkled on top, Louis suspects it’s herbs, tomatoes sliced and neatly arranged beside the bread.  
„You so prepared that.“ Louis accuses while taking the plate.  
„I did.“ Harry states matter of factly.  
„Are you a cook?“ Louis squints at him while taking the first slice and heartily biting into it.  
„Nuh-uh uh“ Harry chides, wiggling his pointer finger. „Questions are for“ he stops when Louis moans loudly.  
„Fuck. Why is this so good?“ Louis mumbles, his mouth full of delicious, fluffy bread. Harry's mouth drops open, his Adam's apple bopping while he looks at Louis’ chewing with closed eyes, his lips in a half-smile. When Louis goes in for the second bite, Harry snaps his mouth shut and finishes lamely „tomorrow.“  
„Huh?“  
„Questions. Tomorrow.“ Harry states and shakes his head to clear it.  
„Ok ok. Just so you know I prepared for that one.“ Louis pops the rest of the first slice into his mouth, followed by a few pieces of tomato.  
„You did?“ Harry’s eyes pop open.  
„I did. Be prepared!“  
Harry giggles but doesn’t say anything.  
Louis finishes the second slice of bread just as fast as the first one. The last tomatoes follow suit promptly. Louis smacks his lips and hands the plate back to Harry who had silently watched him devour the food. „Thank you so much, Mr. Styles. This was very tasty and very needed.“ Louis thanks him while rubbing his stomach.  
„You are very welcome Mr. Tomlinson.“ Harry tilts his head into an appreciative nod.

Sunday morning sets off to a rocky start.  
Louis wakes up from his alarm blearing into his ear. Why exactly is the cell in his bed and why for heaven's sake did he place his head on it while sleeping? In any way, Louis is very thoroughly woken and grumpy, with the outline of his phone case printed into his left cheek. When his tea is done he walks to the balcony on autopilot. It’s very warm already and the sun is shining. Louis squints and silently curses the sun for being so chipper. A squint to his right reveals an empty balcony. Louis does a bit more grumbling. He leans over the rail and hears Harry's rumbly voice through the tipped window. A small smile creeps on his face and he takes a sip of tea. He is about to make some noise when he remembers that 1. He is on to read for the kids in only a few minutes' time and 2. He and Harry are set to answer some questions about each other in just about 2 hours anyway. Louis's mood lifts quite a lot at those thoughts and he walks back inside, leaving the door open to let in the warm air.

For the reading, he chose a classic poem of nature, Lake Isle of Innisfree, that leads to very interesting conversations with the kids about nature and how it can help heal the soul. More than once Louis gets moved to tears by the insight and deep questions the kids ask. He gets a bit lost in their talk. At 12 Ivonne reminds him of the time by popping into the background, tapping her wrist.  
„Alright darlings. Our time is up for today. Should I read it again for the end?“  
„Yes please.“ several of the kids say, many more just nod.  
He reads it again.  
Lets his voice carry the appreciation for nature, form the words to pictures in their heads.  
When he is done they look dreamy and absent. Louis smiles to himself. This is what he is doing this for. Giving them a few minutes of relief from their pain. Sending their heads on journeys because their bodies can’t.  
„Next week we will have a look at a german poet and a very sweet poem about an animal. Until then you can think about which animal you would write a poem about. Bye darlings.“  
Louis waves to the kids. Some of them already getting up, Callum having fallen asleep in the last minutes in his beanbag. Louis disconnects and rubs his hands over his face forcefully then stretches his arms over his head, legs under the table, his thighs quivering with the strain. He groans and gets up to make himself a cuppa.  
When he steps on the balcony Harry is already sitting in his chair. It is turned towards Louis a bit and he has his feet propped up on a small stool. His closed eyes open when he hears Louis dragging his chair into position.  
„Hi.“ he rumbles and stretches, his arms over his head. T-shirt running up his torso to show a sliver of tummy with black lines on both sides. Louis stops sitting down when he takes that in and then the tattoos on both his arms. Especially the left arm is littered with lots of different designs. Harry blinks at him while lowering his arms. Starts fiddling with his rings and looking at his arm as if to check what there is to see.  
„You have tattoos?“ Harry finally asks when Louis stops staring and sits down properly.  
„Is that your first question?“ Louis teases with a grin. Harry remains serious and shakes his head „No! I’ve got another one and it needs to be the first.“  
„Oh does it?  
„Yes.“  
„Ok then. Go on Curly.“  
Harry rakes his fingers through his hair and does a little tug and swoop but his eyes remain on Louis with this weird intensity that he sometimes has. „I’m sorry if it sounds intrusive and you don’t need to answer. I heard you reading some kind of poem a few minutes ago.“ It’s not a question but Harry lilts it up like one. „It sounded very familiar but I didn’t catch enough words. What was it?“  
Louis smiles softly.  
„Lake Isle of Innisfree, should I recite it?“  
„Yes please.“ Harry leans forward, feet on the ground, elbows resting on his knees.  
Louis closes his eyes and visualizes the scribbled note he made for today. The words easily come to his mouth.

„I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,  
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;  
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,  
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,  
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;  
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,  
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day  
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;  
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,  
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.“

When he opens his eyes, Harry’s are right there boring into him, his lips parted as if he had silently spoken the words with him.  
„You are really good at this.“  
„I sure hope so.“ Louis emphasizes „After all it’s what I learned.“  
Harry breaks out into a grin „You are giving me answers without me having to ask.“  
Louis snaps his mouth shut and then laughs. His eyes crinkling. „You’ve got me there.“ he takes a sip of his tea, crosses his legs and places a clipboard and his cell phone in his lap. „Anyway. Let’s start this properly.“  
Harry looks at him in confusion, after a few seconds he breaks into a laugh. „You have actually… prepared for this.“ he presses out between laughs.  
„I told you so.“ Louis rolls his eyes.  
„What’s the clipboard for?“ Harry asks when he has calmed down.  
„Taking notes. If that’s ok with you. I tend to forget when I get too much thrown at me at once and I don’t want to embarrass myself by asking again for your birthday or name of your favourite pet fish.“  
Harry nods „It’s ok for me.“  
„Good. Then let's start with the essentials. Full name and birthday, if you please.“  
Harry leans back, settling his feet back on the stool and smiles crookedly, arms crossed behind his head.  
„Harry Edward Styles, born on the 1st of February 1994.“  
„Uhhh, double name, how posh.“ Louis takes a small note „Harry? Not Harold?“  
„Not Harold. Was named after Harry Potter.“ Harry drawls.  
„Oh?“ Louis looks up, right into Harry’s grinning face. He swallows and nods his chin towards Harry „Your turn.“  
„Same question. Full name and birthday, pretty please.“  
„Louis William Tomlinson, born on a winter day in 1991.“  
Harry's eyebrows scrunch together. „ A winter day?“  
„A winter day.“ Louis nods studiously.  
Harry starts pouting, his hands coming down to rest on his thighs „And also a posh double name.“ he teases with his eyes slightly narrowed  
„Couldn’t choose that.“ Louis quips with a shrug. „My turn again. Favourite color?“  
Harry blinks at him, taken by surprise „Uhm— orange. But also blue.“  
„Mhhhh those are nice. Mine is red.“  
„That is also a solid choice.“  
Louis nods while reaching for his phone „And favourite ice cream?“  
„Oh.“ Harry stretches the vowel. „Do I have to choose one? There are so many good ones. Vanilla combined with anything berry or that Christmas pudding one? So delicious. A good mango orange sorbet is really good too. Or stracciatella.“ he trails off, fingers playing with his lips.  
Louis stares at him, mouth open, cell phone forgotten in his hand „Uhmm“  
Harry’s eyes focus back on him „Don’t ask me questions where I have to choose food.“ he shrugs.  
„I’ll keep that in mind.“  
„What is yours?“  
„Huh?“  
„Your favourite ice cream.“  
„Oh, right. Mint chocolate chip.“  
„That’s a nice one too.“  
„Right? Now I didn’t want this to be a boring kids introduce yourself to the class situation so I downloaded an app that gives some random questions. If thats right with you?“  
„There is an app that quips interesting questions for people that don’t know each other yet?“  
„Apparently.“ Louis shrugs „I mean give me one thing where there is not an app for yet.“  
„Right.“ Harry drags the word out.  
„Now is that ok for you Curly?“  
„Totally ok. Give it to me, Tomlinson.“ Harry grins with dimples popping out.  
Louis looks up at him from his cell, eyebrows raised. Harry giggles and waves for him to get started.  
Louis huffs and clicks on the button for „We just met“.  
„What would your dream vacation be like?“  
„Oh that’s an easy one.“ Harry drawls again „Good weather, lots of sun, a bit warmer than today.“  
„It’s pretty warm today tho.“  
„Yes, it is. Very nice and sunny. I like it.“  
„Same.“  
„Some water where I can swim and ideally also dive. Good fresh food. Lots of lying in the sun, a bit of hiking, a bit of culture.“ he rubs a spot on his shoulder.  
„What kind of culture?“  
„Anything that shows me a bit of the country I am visiting. I like to know about their heritage.“  
„This sounds perfect. This would be my perfect holiday too.“  
„You are taking the easy route.“ Harry lowers his chin and scowls. Effectively looking like a teacher scowling over the rim of her glasses.  
„No really. I was about to say the Caribbean, lying in the sun, some swimming, maybe hiking. But yours, topping it off with the culture, sounds better. It’s only right to know the culture when you visit a country.“  
„It is. And you learn a lot about the people that way. The same goes for cooking, but I count that to be part of the culture anyway. Next question?“  
Louis swipes left on the screen and reads aloud „What is the best gift you ever received? Oh that's a hard one.“  
„I know mine.“ Harry says after a moment. Louis's gestures for him to continue. Harry pinches his lip, contemplating how to word it.„A chance to do what I like. A friend to help me take the first steps and another friend to accompany me on my journey.“  
„Aren’t those 3 things?“  
„They are one.“ Harry states, staring Louis down.  
„Ok ok.“ Louis raises his hands.  
He looks at Harry, pondering.  
Harry looks back, no sign of hurry in his face.  
Then Louis gives a deep sigh.  
„Mine is the compassion of a stranger.“  
Harry's mouth slowly forms an O.  
„I mean I could have also said that it was the stripper Luke and Oli got me for my 22nd birthday but that would have been a bit crude and to be honest it only makes rank 2.“ Louis rolls his eyes and Harry barks out one of his donkey laughs. This time he doesn’t cover his mouth but folds forward, holding his sides as if to hold himself together. Louis grins and watches him with a chuckle.  
When Harry has calmed down he wipes his eyes „Were they that good?“  
„Definitely.“ Louis nods. „Very much my type, except for the very full beard. I like my men more clean-shaven.“  
Louis thinks he sees Harry’s eyes go round, but he ducks his head fast, swoops his hair to the front, ruffles it and swoops it back to the right. „I like your 1st.“ he mumbles. „Everyone deserves compassion.“  
Louis just stares at him for a moment.  
He swallows around the lump in his throat and smiles. Eyes warm and soft. „Yes they do.“  
They sit there. Looking at each other for a moment.  
Clouds drifting by unseen by them.  
Birds singing in the trees and swooping over rooftops.  
Sun rays warming the world, the still naked trees, the walls of the houses, Harry's soft golden skin, and Louis pale one.  
Both take a deep breath at the same time and smile.  
„Want to go for another one?“ Harry asks. His voice soft and barely above a whisper.  
Louis nods and reaches for his cellphone.  
„What is your first childhood memory?“  
Harry furrows his brows in concentration.  
„I can go first.“ Louis says excitedly. Immediately knowing the answer. „I was pre-school. Me mum and I went to a playground after her shift, it was already getting dark. It was later in the year and starting to get really cold. We went there and all the other kids were in their own groups so I pretended the playground was an obstacle course. You know, like the floor is lava?“ Harry nods with a toothy smile when Louis looks at him. „I started and for the most part it was easy to jump from one thing to the other but there was this one gap between some pillars to the swing. It was a huge gap and I had to jump to the frame of the swing, which was metal and I wrapped my arms and legs around it like a koala to not slip and then climbed on the swing itself by stretching as far as I could and wrapping my foot and one hand around the chain and then pulling meself over. Nearly dropped there because the swing, well, it started swinging.“ Harry giggles but swiftly covers his mouth with his hand. „But I held on tight and settled on the swing, bringing it to a good hight and then jumped off to the edge of the playground. Landed directly on the edge and had to windmill with my arms to stay upright. Screamed „I did it!“ when I didn’t fall.  
I felt like Tarzan at that moment and when I turned to me mum she was smiling at me as only mums do.“ Louis's face, at the beginning of the story animated and bright-eyed, is now soft and with a faraway look in his eyes. He looks at the clouds and baths in the wonderful memory for a moment and then clears his throat to turn back to Harry who looks at him with big eyes and a half-smile.  
„That is a wonderful memory.“  
„Only retained it so well because me mum kept telling it to everyone and their neighbors at any given opportunity.“ Louis chuckles and Harry joins in. „Mine is by far not as glorious.“  
„Not?“  
„Absolutely not. I think it was actually my lowest hour.“  
Louis furrows his forehead.  
„I was pre-school too and I had a row with my sister about whether WWF wrestling was real or not.“  
„What side were you on?“  
„That it’s real of course.“ Harry rolls his eyes. „And I went to my mum. I was so angry that I couldn’t even come up with an appropriate insult so I said the worst thing that came to my mind.“  
„Oh-oh“  
„I told my mum that Gemma is a drug dealer.“  
Louis gasps with a chuckle.  
„My mum didn’t believe me of course and chastised me —No she isn’t Harry… She’s nine!— I still stand by my point to this day. They shouldn’t pretend.“  
„You’d rather have them beat each other up on a weekly basis than be good pals who have fun playing pretend fight?“  
„Uhm— uhhh, not really?“ He looks at Louis with his eyebrows drawn together like a puppy, his face in an apologetic grimace. „It’s weird tho. They shouldn’t lie like that.“ Harry positively pouts now and Louis giggles with his eyes scrunched shut.  
„Anyway. My mum also told that story at every family party for years.“  
„It’s a good story.“ Louis is still giggling.  
„It’s not?“ Harry exclaims scandalized.  
„And that was your lowest point in life?“  
„It wa—„ Harry stops midword, his face suddenly crumples into pure pain. Desperation. Louis stops giggling immediately. Just as fast as it came Harry wipes his face clean of any expression and Louis feels as if he is looking at an empty shell. His stomach drops. He stares at Harry, afraid to say something wrong but Harry’s eyes, in contrast to his blank face, look so full of sorrow that Louis needs to do something. „Next question?“ he asks softly.  
Harry twitches and focuses his eyes on Louis.  
„Huh?“  
„Next question?“ Louis asks just as softly as the first time.  
„Yes please.“ with a raspy voice, eyes still without a trace of happiness.  
Please.  
That please is so full of— Louis stops his mind there and unlocks his cell phone for the next question. He holds it up for Harry to see „What song in your music library gets the most plays?“ he reads out loud, clearing his throat to get rid of the raspiness. He chews on his bottom lip for a moment. „That would probably be The Chain by Fleetwood Mac“  
„Oh that's a really good song.“  
Harry nods. „I come back to it so often. It’s timeless.“  
„I don’t think I have that one song that I come back to all the time. There is so much good music out there. But my favourite right now is definitely Black&White by Niall Horan.“  
„Oh, you listened to his new album? It’s really good.“ Harry’s eyes sparkle and his face is animated again.  
Louis chuckles. „Yeah, I know his new album. Do you have a favourite on it?“  
„Uhmm“ Harry starts pinching his bottom lip in concentration „Everywhere? I like the situation of someone just popping up everywhere and not giving him a chance to forget them even when they are not in the same room. It’s very exciting and sounds full of passion and burning emotions. But I think I like No Judgment a bit more.“  
Louis blinks and breaks into a broad grin.  
„It’s such a wonderful message to give people. Just be you, you are perfect just like you are and I love you.“ He looks at Louis and smiles. „People need to hear that more often.“  
„They do.“ Louis nods, a broad smile on his face.  
„Ok next question.“  
„Eager?“  
„Very. Now give us the next question William.“  
„William?“ Louis squeaks.  
„Or Willie?“ Harry teases.  
„Don’t you dare!“ Louis growls.  
„Then give us the next question, William.“  
Louis huffs and unlocks his phone again.  
„If you could possess one superpower, what would it be?“  
„Why are these questions so complicated?“ Harry whines. Throwing his hands in the air.  
„This one is easy. It’s flying. I’d fly.“ Louis goes into a superman pose and waggles his eyebrows at Harry.  
„What? Why?“  
„Because— it’s flying.“ Louis shrugs and mentally packs a duh at the end.  
„You where so gonna say duh.“ Harry accuses him with narrowed eyes.  
„Of course, Harold. Because it’s a duh-matter.“  
„It is so not! Flying is the least useful of all superpowers.“  
„Excuse you what? All the money you could save by not having to use any transportation. The emissions you could avoid.“ Harry gives an ok-I’ll-give-you-that-shrug for that. „And all the traffic jams you could avoid. That alone is already a winner.“ Louis huffs. „What would your superpower be then?“  
„It’s gotta be time travel.“ Harry states.  
„Time travel? That's the most boring superpower of all time.“  
„But you could help avoid catastrophes and wars.“  
„And when you come back the whole life you’ve known has never existed.“  
„You’d have to be clever about it of course.“  
„It’d still change the future. You would be incredible alone and no one would even know that you helped them.“  
„It’s not always about recognition, Louis. Sometimes doing good things is enough already.“ Louis gives him an ok-I’ll-give-you-that-shrug.  
„But sometimes it’s good to be appreciated. It’s good for the soul.“  
„True.“  
„So would you change to another superpower?“  
„No. Would you?“  
„No.“  
They look at each other with crinkled eyes, both biting their lips to keep the laugh in.  
„Next question!“  
„Pushy.“  
„Yep.“ Harry lies back and crosses his arms behind his head again.  
„What is your favourite type of ice cream?“ Louis giggles.  
„Wha? You are joking.“  
„Nope.“ Louis pops the p and turns the display for Harry to read.  
Harry scowls „Indeed. Well, I don’t care. We gonna jump that one.“ he chuckles and leans back again.  
Louis, holding his side from the giggles, „Thank god. I didn’t want to get another essay.“  
„Heeeey.“  
„If money were no concern, what country/region would you visit? All of them! I want to see the world. Maybe not the countries where it’s war, but actually even those I kinda want to see.“  
„Wow that was fast.“ Harry drawls.  
„I always wanted to travel. What about you?“  
„I— already traveled a lot of countries. Some I want to go back too and some I won’t be going back too in the foreseeable future.“  
„Not? Which ones and why?“  
„Nigeria and a few others. I liked it a lot there but it’s not… not really safe.“ Louis looks at him confusion creasing his brows.  
„For gay people.“ Harry clarifies.  
Oh.  
„Oh.“  
„Yeah.“  
„And are there ones that you haven’t visited yet?“  
„A lot actually. I was looking forward to going to South America again and go do the rounds there more thoroughly. Last time I only visited Brazil, Colombia, and Panama. But well.“ he shrugs „We will see when traveling will actually happen again.“  
„You travel a lot, don’t you?“  
„Yes I do.“  
„That’s why I never saw you here until recently.“  
„Yes. I haven’t been in the same country for longer than 2 months in several years.“  
„Wow. And now you are stuck.“  
„Haha yeah, a bit. But it’s good I think. I need a bit of that.“  
„Like digging your feet in? Growing some roots?“  
„Yeah. A bit of that.“ Harry squints and focuses on a loose thread sticking out of his trousers. He starts fiddling with that. He doesn’t notice Louis's little smile and how he picks up his phone after a moment.  
„What is your favourite restaurant?“ Louis reads out loud in his game master voice, startling Harry into a laugh.  
„China, Sichuan, teeny tiny restaurant seating 4 people max, the door so small I had to bend over to go through, roof so low that my hair touched it when I stood upright.“ He bursts out, rather uncharacteristically fast. „The walls were black from probably a few hundred years of cooking fumes. The cook was a thousand-year-old dragon disguised as a hundred-year-old woman.“ Louis chuckles. „She cooked right behind the counter, we could watch everything happening, it was amazing. Very clean cooking, very dirty jokes. She specialised in Dan Dan noodles and Mapo Tofu. Very, very spicy but oh so good.“  
„Wow.“  
„Yep.“  
„China.“  
Harry laughs „I traveled a lot.“  
„Indeed you did. How spicy are we talking here?“  
„Spicy spicy! I think I was only able to eat and survive that because I had been traveling and eating home-cooked meals in Korea and China for about 10 weeks. Right now it would incinerate my tongue I am sure.“  
„Ok. Spicy!“  
„Do you like spicy food?“  
„I don’t not like it. But if it’s just spicy for spiciness sake, it’s not for me.“  
„No eating the Carolina Reaper for you then.“  
„Definitely not!“ Louis exclaims on a shudder of fear.  
He lets his eyes wander to the sky. Thinking of the not so many restaurants he knows. His mind gets stuck on one.  
„My favourite restaurant“ he starts slowly, looking down at his right hand, „is actually a pub in me hometown Doncaster. No fancy interior and nothing special to eat there. Mostly chips and sometimes a shepherds pie in the holidays. A pint and some friends. That’s it.“ Louis slowly looks up from his armrest where his fingers are picking at the peeling paint. Harry is beaming. Eyes glittering. „This sounds like home.“ he whispers. His voice higher. Softer.  
„It is.“  
„You can’t do that here?“  
„Nah. Somehow I always end up partying hard when I go out for a beer here. London has a different energy.“  
Harry nods. He remembers the few times he had been out in London. Different energy is a very good description of it.  
„Speaking of eating. Do you want a little snack? It’s already past 1 and I haven’t had lunch yet.“  
„You want to make a snack for us?“ Louis raises his eyebrows.  
„Yes“  
Louis's eyes light up „Go for it!“  
Harry laughs „Ok. I’ll be back in a few minutes.“

Louis looks at his notes for a moment. The page is already scribbled full. Lots of idle doodles but also a lot of exclamation marks. „Tommo if you mark everything as important the exclamation mark is gonna lose it’s meaning.“ he chides himself. And switches the page for a fresh one. Scribbling a tiny 2 in the top left corner and a tiny sun beside it.  
Then he takes his phone and goes looking for something that came into his mind while he watched Harry talk.  
When Harry comes back out with a tray filled with 2 plates, 2 cups of tea, a pitcher with milk, and a tiny sugar bowl, Louis is reclined in his chair, head leaning back, feet propped up on the front rail and eyes closed, soaking in the sun. He opens his right eye and squints at Harry when he hears the soft sound of Harry's feet on the ground.  
He stretches, with a lot of groaning, sits up again, and turns the chair back to face Harry. Harry cringes at the chair's legs loud scraping sound. Louis grins at him and then leans forward to inspect what he can see on the tray.  
Harry put it on the stool right at the fence.  
„Oh look at that. Some tableware with character.“ Louis exclaims. Harry looks at him dumbfounded.  
„The pitcher and the sugar bowl,“ Louis clarifies, pointing to them. They are off white with tiny forget-me-not spaced evenly on them. The sugar bowl has an intricate spoon handle sticking out. „They look lovely. Not as impersonal as the pale grey tableware.“  
„Oh. Yeah.“  
„Why don’t you use the flowery stuff more often?“  
„Uhm— because I only have these two,“ Harry softly taps the bowl and the pitcher „and a serving bowl.“  
„Oh that is a shame.“  
„My grandparents had a whole set of them but with time more and more pieces broke and when they were down to four pieces they wanted to throw it away. I stepped in and adopted them.“ Harry actually puffs out his chest.  
„Four?“  
„Oh… uhm yes. I broke the serving plate when I moved in here.“ He grins sheepishly and rubs his neck.  
„Klutz.“  
„Yep.“  
„Do you like this grey tableware?“  
Harry looks at him, seeming to contemplate.  
„It’s doing its job. But aesthetically it lacks a bit of flair.“  
Louis nods hard. „It doesn’t feel like you. Very neutral. No character.“  
„I had to get some kind of tableware that I could work with when in a pinch and in London. So I choose something neutral. But now I could maybe get some stuff that suits me a bit better. I just don’t really know what I want.“  
Louis listens to his slow voice and nods. „Well you’ve got time now to think about it.“  
„Indeed I do.“  
„What’s for lunch, love?“ Louis cranes his neck and tries to distinguish the browned little packets on the plates. They have some kind of brown sauce sprinkled on top and are garnished with a salad of radishes?  
„Radishes?“ he asks incredulously. Harry who was about to answer the first question, raises his eyes at him. „Is that bad? You don’t like radishes?“  
„Uhm no, they are ok I guess. I just never saw them so delicately cut in a salad.“  
„Oh ok. Good.“ Harry raises his hand and points at the pieces on the plate. „Two Vegish Pasties, with a pepper variation of brown sauce and a side salad of radish.“  
With every piece, Harry points out Louis's eyebrows climb higher. When Harry is ready they both look up at each other. Then Harry’s words finally register with Louis. Vegish? Pasties?  
He frowns.  
„Vegish? Pasties?“ Harry chuckles „Oh yeah. Uhm those are vegetarian versions of Cornish Pasties.“  
Oh.  
„Oh. Ok. That sounds, ok?“ he looks back down at the plate.  
„You are not very convincing Louis.“ Harry chuckles again.  
Louis's head snaps back up. „Oh no. Please don’t misunderstand. I want to eat them! I was just thinking that there is no way that I would ever believe you if you told me that you are not a cook.“  
„I won’t tell you that.“ Harry states simply and passes Louis a plate and a fork. „How do you like your tea?“  
Louis takes the plate and sniffs the food. The sourness of the salad is the first thing he smells, followed by the smell of fried dough and pepper. „Splash of milk, no sugar please.“ he answers and looks around for a surface to place the plate. „I really need a side table.“ he sighs and puts the plate on the floor to take the cup of tea. „Thank you.“  
„You are welcome. Enjoy your meal.“  
Louis arranges himself into a cross-legged state to create a safe spot to put the plate, teacup placed on the small step to the door, just in reach for him.  
„I will.“ he looks up and grins, takes the fork, and goes right in for one of the pasties.  
They eat in silence, the occasional scrape of the forks and the ruckus of the birds accompany them.  
Harry has his right leg crossed over the other, the plate balanced on his knee. His eyes keep wandering to Louis. Watching him eat and staring into the distance with a barely noticeable curl to his mouth.  
„You are a really good cook.“ Louis says when he is done. His plate is as clean as it can get without him actually licking it clean. He contemplates doing just that but opts for using his manners instead.  
„Thank you.“ Harry lowers his eyes while taking the plate from him.  
Louis sees the bashful smiley anyway.  
„And that comes from someone who has eaten in a proper restaurant about 7 times and enjoyed about 2 of those times.“ Louis deadpans.  
Harry smiles at him. „That bad?“  
„Horrible atmosphere. Pretentious food. Stuffy service.“  
Harry makes a face. „That's not good. Food should be eaten in a warm atmosphere.“  
„I’d have to agree with you there.“ Louis takes a sip of tea and closes his eyes on a satisfied hum. Good tea.  
Louis hears a bit off shuffling and the clank of the tray being placed on the floor. Harry sighs and leans back. „Do you want to continue the questions?“  
„I’d like to yes? How about you?“  
„I’d very much like that too.“ There is a smile in his voice.  
Louis blinks his eyes back open and places his feet on the side rail. „Then let’s commence the questioning.“ he reaches for his phone and clipboard under the chair and opens the app again.  
„I think I will go for the good friends folder for a change of pace. What is the most frustrating thing that happened to you recently?“  
They both look at each other, nod, and say in unison „Quarantine.“  
„It’s so frustrating.“ Louis wails. „Everything is canceled.“  
„Everyone is on edge.“ Harry adds.  
„No going out and no cuddling friends.“  
„No more traveling.“  
„And what's with the toilet paper?“  
„Oh and higher-ups refusing to see reason.“  
„Oh don’t get me started on those baboons.“ Louis huffs. „And all the NHS workers being under that massive pressure.“  
„And way too many people simply not caring? What is up with that? Why are they such assholes?“  
They both stare at each other, both huffing and red in the faces.  
„Well.“ Harry finally breaks the silence. „I see we are on the same page there, but maybe we should go for another question that is a bit lighter? This seems a bit contra-productive to our good mood.“  
Louis just nods on a huff and goes for the next question.  
„What do you like to do after a long, difficult day?“  
„That’s oddly fitting.“  
„It is.“  
„Some yoga and meditation, I’d say. And a hot tea and shower. Or a bath. Anything water-related really.“  
„Why did I know you would say yoga and meditation?“ Louis rolls his eyes.  
„You felt my superior hipster charisma.“ Harry flutters his eyelashes and opens his mouth into a wide grin.  
Louis snorts.  
„That has to be it. Thank god it wasn’t your neatly groomed hipster beard tickling my senses.“ Louis deadpans.  
„I can’t even grow a beard.“ Harry snickers. „Takes me weeks to grow a decent stubble.“  
„Fake hipster.“  
„The fakest of fake. What with me usually jetting all over the world.“ Harry rolls his eyes. „They should annul my membership.“  
Louis narrows his eyes „You know. I really need to know what you exactly do?“  
„Us hipsters?“  
„No, you, Harry. What do you earn money with?“  
„Oh.“ Harry ruffles his hair in front of his face and swoops it back to the right. „Any theories?“  
„I wouldn’t ask if I had a viable clue.“ he winks. „I know you travel a lot. Never longer in one country then 2 months and you … cook? Is that all part of what you do?“  
„Yes, it is. Only one essential part missing.“  
„And that essential part would be?“  
„Cameras.“  
„Cameras?“ Louis's eyebrows try to merge with his hairline. „Now I am really lost. Do you make travel cooking shows?“  
„That's pretty much what we do yeah.“  
„I- what? I was joking.“  
„I am not.“ Harry snickers.  
„Ok wait I need more info. How do you earn money with that again?“  
„By posting it on youtube.“  
„Uh… are you may be one of those travel vloggers?“  
„Kinda?“  
„Kinda? Come on Curly, out with it.“  
„We travel and make videos about the countries that we visit with the main focus on their cooking. The traditional cooking mostly but also things like street food and in addition I recreate some of the dishes or try out random things I think off. We post those videos on youtube.“  
„And you earn money with that how?“  
„That's a rather complicated net of sources of income, to be honest. Should I go into detail?“  
„Uhm— maybe not? How many sources of income are we talking here?“  
„About seven. Three main sources and a few smaller variable ones.“  
Louis's eyes widen. „Yeah ok. That's enough for me to know that I don’t need to know more. My poor brain is not calibrated for anything related to numbers.“  
Harry snickers „Not the numbers man?“  
„No. I am more in favor of written and spoken language.“  
„Mhhhh nice. Well then how about you use that love for the spoken language to tell me what you like to do after a stressful day.“  
Louis looks at him in confusion for a moment.  
„Oh right. I haven’t answered that one yet. Let’s see. Kicking a ball always helps.“  
„Football?“  
Louis nods. „Yes. And cuddling up with a friend helps too. Maybe some hot cocoa if its a really bad day, and a good movie is always good too.“  
„You are a lot softer than it appears at first.“ Harry mumbles. Tilting his head to the right.  
Louis shrugs. „Not everyone needs to know, you know?“  
„I get it. I wouldn’t be able to do that even if I tried though.“  
„That's good. It would be a shame to hide your soft side. It’s a delight to see.“  
Harry’s eyes widen and he stares at Louis.  
His cheeks turn a soft pink hue.  
He blinks even slower than usual.  
Louis's lips curl ever so slowly.  
„Same goes for you.“ Harry rasps and this time it’s Louis turn to go wide-eyed. He coughs into his hand, fixes his fringe, and checks his cup for tea. It’s empty though. Has been for a while now he remembers.  
He is just about to attack a piece of lint that has attached itself to his trousers when his cell starts vibrating. Startling him into a half jump. Harry jerks in reaction to his rather abrupt movement and makes a questioning noise.  
A green shamrock is lighting up his display. Why is Niall calling?  
„Sorry I have to take that call.“ he says apologetically and swipes up. „What’s up my precious leprechaun?“  
„Tommo man did you mute our chats? I’ve been trying to reach you for an hour now.“  
„I did mute the chat yes. What’s up? Any problems?“ Louis snickers.  
„No just there was some rescheduling and now I have an interview happening at 5:30 today.“  
„Oh.“  
„I asked around if we could do the game round a bit earlier and everyone is on board to start whenever our game master is ready.“  
„And me as the game master has muted all chats.“ Louis snickers „Sorry mate. Yeah, that's possible. Just give me half an hour and I’ll send the link out.“  
„Awesome. See ya in a few then.“  
„By precious“  
Louis looks up into Harry’s unassuming eyes.  
„So“ Louis drags the word out. „I’ve got this game round with my friends every Sunday at 4, but today one has to reschedule so they want to start now instead.“ Louis checks the clock. It’s half 3 already.  
Harry’s eyes light up „A game round? That’s amazing.“  
Louis smiles brightly „Yeah it is. But that means I gotta go now.“  
Harry starts fiddling with his rings.  
„When do you think we can continue this?“ Louis asks hopefully. A small smile creeps on Harry's face.  
„Uhm— can we do it during the week too? Or is that to impracticable for you?“  
„I can do weekdays too. I just need to know in advance so I can push my work stuff around.“  
„How about tomorrow at the same time again then?“  
„Tomorrow is Monday?“ Louis stretches his legs and arms with a groan.  
„Yes tomorrow is Monday.“ Harry grins.  
„Quarantine is frying my sense of time.“ He shrugs. „Yeah, tomorrow“ he unlocks his phone, just to make sure that he is indeed free. Looks into his task manager and nods. „This should be ok.“ he stretches the last word while checking the last email he received. It’s a confirmation of an order being processed. „Nice“ he mumbles.  
„What?“  
„Oh. Uhhh yeah, tomorrow works for me. At noon again?“  
Harry snickers. „At noon, gringo.“ he drawls with a really bad American accent „Don’t be late!“  
Louis blinks several times.  
Harry is very unsuccessful in keeping a straight face.  
„You need to practice that a bit more Mr. Styles.“ Louis says in his poshest British accent.  
They are silent for a second. Then burst out laughing in unison.  
„I’ll try my best Mr. Tomlinson.“  
„Have a nice day, Harry.“ Louis says, still snickering.  
„Have a nice day too, Louis.“  
They smile at each other while Louis hands over the teacup. He tips his head and does the finger guns while walking inside. Nearly falling when he misses the step inside.

Louis sets up the Zoom and while he waits for everyone to log in takes his battered notebook and starts writing.  
„What’chu writin there Tommo?“  
Louis can practically hear how Niall is craning his neck to see  
„Jus some lyric ideas I got right now.“ he mumbles distractedly.  
„Good. We need to write again soon. I’ve got some ideas buzzing around in my head already.“  
„Nice.“ Louis writes the last word and looks up into everyone's waiting faces. „Hy there my little minions.“ he cheers. „I was too lazy to prepare anything. So let's play a game of Guess That Sound“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those interested: The app that Louis used is called Questions In A Box. 
> 
> *whispers  
> If anyone wants to do some artwork, I would freaking love to see the "a thousand-year-old dragon disguised as a hundred-year-old woman" feeding Harry super spicy Mapo Tofu
> 
> Again thanks for reading, I love you all for that. Please leave some comments if you like


	7. More questions. Even more answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet up again on the balcony.  
> Lot's of questions, even more answers.  
> Louis is keeping some answers to himself. Again.  
> Harry is cute af. Again. And takes over the reins for a bit.

Monday, 6th of April  
„I don’t know. Can we maybe do a different one Li?“  
„We said we would work through it from oldest to newest.“  
„Mhhhh yeah I know.“ Harry whines.  
„So the viewers wouldn’t get content of the same countries so soon again.“  
„I know.“ Harry grumbles.  
„And we don’t have much useful stuff from before I joined. Only tons of outtakes.“  
Harry just pouts. Liam looks at him.  
„What is the problem here, Harry?“  
Harry cringes.  
„Uhm— my mum.“  
„You think she won’t like that.“  
„I know she won’t.“ Harry clears his throat „When I was at hers… she asked me questions about some of my videos and this incident came up. She was terrified about it. And you know how we didn’t even put half of it in the video back then. If she sees the whole extent she might just simply pop up in my kitchen, attach herself to me, and never letting go again. Ever!“  
„How about you ask her if it’s ok to post? Or maybe she could just not watch that one video?“  
Harry hesitates and looks at Liam ponderingly. „That might work. Give me a few minutes.“  
He picks up his phone and is already dialing her number.  
„Say hi from me.“ Liam says and turns to his task at hand again.

Anna picks up the phone on the 3rd ring.  
„Good morning Harry.“  
„Good morning mum.“ Harry smiles softly. „Do you have a few minutes to talk?“  
„I do. Are you ok? Any problems?“  
„I am ok, yes. Just a little problem with a video.“ Anne hums in encouragement. „You remember the last talk we had at yours? When we talked about me being well and not to worry about the dangerous situations I was in?“  
Anne draws in a deep breath. „I do remember that.“ Harry cringes and starts rubbing his neck.  
„And you know how we now post old stuff that we hadn’t published yet on the EnFood channel.“  
„Yes.“ She drags the word out to make it a question.  
„The thing is, uhm… about that incident with the militia.“ Harry takes a deep breath and rushes through the next part „There is more footage and it would be in the next video but we don’t need to post it if you are against it or you could maybe just not watch that video if it would upset you.“  
There is silence on the line for a moment and Harry starts aggressively picking at random lint on his sweater.  
„Uhm— would that additional footage upset me more?“ Anne finally asks.  
„Probably.“ Harry mumbles.  
„How?“  
Harry furrows his brows „How? Do you want me to tell you what happened?“  
„No. I want to know if you got hurt at one point and you haven’t told me that yet.“  
„Oh no. No! I didn’t get hurt. But the weapons.“ Harry stops short when he hears her take a sharp breath. Oh shit. He had not planned on saying that out loud. „Sorry.“ he mumbles.  
„You know that I need to hear the whole story now just so I won’t paint the scariest scenarios.“  
„I’m sorry mum. That’s not what I wanted to happen.“  
„I know, darling. You can tell me now and I’ll watch it when you upload it and I will fret a bit more for a few days. Probably will need daily updates from you instead of once a week.“ she sounds strained.  
„I can do that.“ Harry sighs, half elated, half guiltily.  
„Well then, give me the story.“ 

„We have an ok.“ Harry says once he is on his computer again „And she says hi back.“  
„Nice.“ Liam nods „Did she take it ok?“  
„Not really. She is upset and will probably be more upset once she watches it. I will talk with her every day now for a while I guess.“  
„Oh.“  
Harry nods.  
„But she’ll manage H. She is one of the strongest people I know.“  
„Mhhh.“  
Liam starts cutting scenes again and lets Harry work through his thoughts for a while. After a few minutes, Harry shakes his head, tousles his hair, and joins Liam in putting the episode together.

Harry’s alarm goes off at 10 before noon. He wraps up the small bit of research he is doing.  
„What are you doing now anyway?“ Liam asks in confusion with furrowed eyebrows.  
Harry’s head snaps up „I, uhm— well. Going outside?“  
„Outside?“  
„Yeah uhm… on the balcony.“  
„Outside on the balcony.“  
„Yeah.“  
„Ok.“ Liam drags the word out and splits into a smile „Have fun. See you later.“ he tags on happily and disconnects.  
Harry scowls at the screen and then huffs. That was weird. He needs to chill. It’s not as if meeting up with Louis is something special or something to hide. It really isn’t.

Louis already sits on his chair. Naked feet propped up on the railing, laptop balanced on his legs, typing at a speed that makes Harry’s head swim. „Give me a minute, Curly.“ he says without slowing his fingers down. How? Harry shakes his head and makes a noncommittal sound. He unfolds the rainbow chair, puts his water bottle down, and fishes a fresh chewing gum from his trousers. When he sits down Louis makes a triumphant noise and shuts his laptop. He gets up, his black hoodie is at least 2 sizes to big for him, his hands pretty much vanish inside the arms while he carries the laptop inside and comes back with the clipboard.  
„I like your hoodie.“ Harry says, looking at the embroidered flower in the front.  
Louis looks up and smiles.  
„It looks very comfy and you look like you are swimming in it.“  
„It is.“ Louis' eyes crinkle. He decides to ignore the 'swimming in it' comment, then he looks at Harry’s feet and startles. His eyebrows furrow. „Are those? Are those pugs on your socks?“  
„Yes.“ Harry pushes his chin forward.  
„And do they have antlers?“ Louis leans on the side rail to get a better look.  
„Yes.“ Harry positively pouts now. „And before you even ask, they also have red noses.“  
„Do they?“ Louis' mouth twitches „Cute.“  
„It is.“ Harry feels like enforcing that statement, but stomping his feet would probably set Louis' laugh off. So that's a big no. He narrows his eyes instead.  
Louis looks back up to his face, his eyes glinting and mouth still twitching. „Not as cute as you are right now though.“ he states but doesn’t wait for Harry’s reaction before continuing „As long as they keep you warm and cozy, they are perfect for all I care. And if you like the design it’s even better.“  
Harry's mouth falls open.  
Oh.  
He coughs, swoops his hair to the front, ruffles it and swoops it back.  
He hears a silent chuckle and looks up into glittering eyes. Louis has sat down, clipboard on his crossed over leg and phone in his hand.  
„Are we doing another round of questions from that app today?“ Harry asks.  
„We could but we could do it differently too if you want.“  
„Good. I felt we rushed a bit through it yesterday and would rather ask a few follow up questions. But we can go back to the pre-made questions if we run out of ideas ourselves.“ Harry winks.  
„Ok deal.“ Louis puts his cell on the floor. „Then let’s hear your first question.“ Louis' eyes are glinting again, or maybe they haven’t stopped yet.  
Harry leans back and steeples his fingers. „Let’s see. We established that I visited quite a few countries already and that you like to travel but I don’t know how many countries you visited.“  
„Not many to be honest. We visited France a few times when I was a kid. Once we spend a day in Belgium. Then I was in Scotland twice in my early twenties.“ he rubs his chin in thought. Harry hears the rough sound of fingernails against stubble. „And Ireland last year.“ Louis shrugs.  
„How was Ireland?“  
„Loud. Loud and drunk.“ Louis grins. „It was fun. A mate comes from there.“  
„And you haunted their old grounds together.“  
„Yeah, we did. He is fun to be around on a good day and there he went basically bonkers.“ Louis grins and remembers the time. They’d partied and wrote songs and had a laugh for pretty much a whole week.  
„Any country that is on top of your visit wish list?“  
„Do I have to pick one?“  
Harry chuckles about Louis scrunched face while Louis fixes his fringe and explains. „I kinda want to see South East Asia, but South America sounds mighty interesting as well. Me mate says Australia is very nice too but to me, it sounds a bit boring except for the crazy killer animals.“ both chuckle.  
„Is that the same mate?“ Harry asks.  
„Yeah the Irish one.“  
„He probably saw a lot of similarities with Ireland there. Not from the land but from the people and mentality. And the killer animals added a bit of flair to it.“ Louis chuckles. „Yeah that sounds about right.“  
„So.“ Harry drags the vowel out. „You lean more towards the southern countries?“  
„I come from the north. Nothing much more to see if I go farther north.“ Louis deadpans.  
„And the south is warmer. No need for you to bundle up in layers and layers.“ Harry winks.  
„Yep.“ Louis refuses to take the bait. „That too.“  
„I can picture you in South America. The temperament in Brazil would be a good fit for you.“  
Louis straightens up. „Would it?“  
„Yeah. They are loud and warm and very welcoming, but mostly loud.“  
„Are you trying to subtly tell me that I am loud?“  
„I thought I wasn’t that subtle.“ Harry grins from one ear to the other.  
„Wow. What a compliment.“ Louis deadpans.  
Harry snickers and fluffs up his hair.  
„Did you like it in Brazil?“ Louis asks.  
„Very much so, yes. I even got it tattooed.“  
„You did? Where?“ Louis scans over what he can see of Harry’s arms.  
Harry pushes his left hip a bit forward and makes a frame with his fingers over an area high up on his thigh. „Here.“  
He remembers getting it in that small tattoo parlor, where he understood maybe every 10th word of what the man tattooing him said. He smiles softly and looks up. Louis is staring at his thigh with his mouth open. He swallows and shakes his head slightly.  
„Why?“  
„Huh?“  
„Why did you get it?“  
„Oh uhm— that was a spur of the moment decision.“  
„Just like that?“  
„Yeah.“ Harry smiles uncertainly.  
„Nice.“  
Oh.  
Harry laughs.  
„Did it hurt? I imagine it must hurt quite a bit there.“  
„Not that much. It’s a tiny script and it’s not as if it’s on the inside of the thigh. Didn’t even take half an hour.“  
„Mhhh ok.“  
„I’ve had a lot more painful ones.“  
„Yeah?“  
„Yeah.“ Harry turns his left arm and pushes the short sleeve up to the shoulder so that Louis can see the inner arm. He points to a big black five-point star in the assortment of random things. It’s about 6 centimeters in diameter. „This was my first one.“  
Louis' mouth falls open „Outsch.“  
„Yeah, a bit. But I’m not fuzzy.“  
Louis rubs his wrist through the fabric, remembering the pain of the tattoo he got there. „Any meaning behind it?“  
„Yes.“ Harry touches each point softly. „5 years to figure out what I want.“  
„Oh. Did it work?“  
„It did. Took me only 3 years though.“  
„So you didn’t even need the tattoo to remind you.“  
„No, I did need it. The star reminded me to always look at things and ask myself if I wanted to do that. It still does if I’m being honest“  
„Nice.“  
„That’s why I took the gap year and started traveling and that's why I didn’t go back to studying, kept traveling and making the vlog.“  
„Wow. What did you study before?“  
„Sociology and law.“  
„Law?“  
„Yeah.“ Harry laughs and rolls his eyes. „That would have not worked out.“  
Louis looks at him for long, furrows his brows „I mean. The longer I think about it, the less weird it sounds?“  
„In theory, yes. But I would have come into contact with a lot of bad people. That would have taken a big toll on me. Like having my hopes for society crushed on a weekly basis, maybe even more often. It would have changed me and I don’t think I want to become that person.“  
„Good point.“ Louis nods „I’m glad you didn’t go that route.“  
„Me too.“  
„Instead you became a cook and vlogger for youtube. Which I haven’t received the channel name of yet by the way.“  
„That’s because you haven’t asked yet, Louis.“ Harry grins and folds his hands on his stomach.  
Louis looks at him, raises an eyebrow in invitation and finally laughs when Harry just smiles back at him.  
„Would you give me the name of your youtube channel, Harry? Pretty please.“ He makes a puppy face and Harry honks out a laugh.  
„Gladly, Louis. The channel name is EnFood.“  
Louis tilts his head.  
„E-N-F-O-O-D“  
Louis takes a note. „Okay.“ Louis draws the word out. „I will go on and stalk that one for a bit. Any videos you want me to avoid, for embarrassment reasons?“  
Harry giggles „If I tell you, those would be the first you watch, right?“  
“Absolutely!“ Louis cheers. „So?“ Louis looks at him, eyes sparkling, pen poised, mouth open in a grin.  
„Just watch them all.“  
„Eh? I’ll find the embarrassing bits anyway.“ Louis whines.  
„I am sure you will but like this, it will take some time for you to find them.“  
„You are playing for time.“ Louis giggles.  
„Yes!“  
„Very well then.“ Louis gets up, dusting his trousers off. „It was nice talking to you today. I’ve got things to do now. Bye.“ He walks through the door with a lazy flick of his wrist and a twinkling eye over the shoulder.

Harry giggles and takes a sip of water, thinking of all the embarrassing stuff Louis will find without a doubt.  
A minute later Louis' head pops out of the door „You are still here.“ he steps out, a bottle of water in his hand and a sandwich in the other, and plops down on his chair.  
„And you came back.“  
„Well yes. I can watch those videos when you sleep. You are at my disposal right now so I should use the time I was given.“  
„At your disposal?“  
„Yep.“  
Harry looks at the sandwich when Louis takes a bite. It doesn’t look as good as it would have if he’d made it. He scowls.  
„Don’t murder the sandwich, Curly. I made it this morning and haven’t come around to eating it yet. It needs to be eaten before it gets all mushy soggy on me.“ Louis takes another bite. They both stare at each other. Louis half smiling, Harry trying not to scowl. „It doesn’t taste even half as good as anything you could make though.“  
Harry blinks.  
And relaxes a bit.  
Louis' smile grows wider.  
Then Louis words register with Harry.  
„Wait. Does that mean this is your breakfast?“  
Louis stops chewing and looks between the sandwich and Harry.  
„Uhm“ he draws the word out while he chews a few more times and swallows the bite. „Kinda?“  
„What do you mean kinda?“  
Louis looks at his hands in his lap. „Yeah, it is. I had some tea and then forgot to eat the sandwich.“  
„You forgot to eat?“ Harry’s voice fluctuates between worry and amusement. Louis looks up with an apologetic grin.  
„Yeah. Happens to me all the time now.“  
„All the time.“ Harry repeats. Worry trying to get the upper hand. He wants to ask why, but it’s not his place to ask, so he bites his bottom lip instead. They are silent while Louis takes another bite. Louis' eyes fixed on the rail, Harry covertly watching him eat.  
„Usually I’d meet up with people to eat a bite“ Louis starts talking. He stops short. Surprised that he said that out loud. Then he takes a deep breath and resumes talking. „and catch up or I’d make sure to eat before practice so I’d make it to the end of the day. Or I’d see someone walk by with chips and think oh right, I’m hungry, maybe I should eat. But now I don’t go outside and I don’t meet up with people and don’t have practice. I am alone here and my whole daily routine is so different now. Actually it’s more fucked up than anything else.“ He feels the lump in his chest grow and takes a deep shuddering breath. He looks up at the sky and releases a big sigh. He takes a few breaths in and out, deliberately calming himself.  
„That got a bit heavy.“  
„I feel you.“ Harry mumbles. „It’s very confusing, this situation. 2 months ago I was in Papua New Guinea, one day watching a family of 40, cooking a meal for their youngest son's birthday and the next day trying to not get dragged into any clan rivalries in another village. And trying to come up with a plan on how to proceed with the channels during a pandemic and now I’m sitting here all day. The only challenge is to find a good time to do my shopping and how to not run past people too closely.“  
Louis' head turns towards him „Run past people?“  
„When I jog.“  
„Oh. Should have known you are the jogging type. You probably even do it at the crack of dawn.“  
„I actually do, yes.“ Harry grins.  
Louis rolls his eyes.  
„Well, I need to. I am used to being very active every day, walking several kilometers and I eat accordingly. If I don’t keep up some kind of sport I will rise like yeast dough.“  
„Are you still eating the same amount as before you came here?“  
„No, no. Even though it’s hard not too. But I still cook the same portions as before, for Li and myself. By now my freezer is loaded with lefto…“ Harry stops himself, narrows his eyes at Louis.  
„Wha?“  
„You need someone to remind you to eat.“  
Louis furrows his brows.  
„And I routinely make to much food.“  
„No!“  
Harry stops short. „Why not?“  
„I can’t make you do that.“  
„You are not making me. It’s my idea, isn’t it?“  
„Yeah but“ Louis trails off.  
„What but?“  
„I can’t take advantage of you like that.“  
„You are not. I offered. You chime in on the food money and on the food choices. It will be a mutual giving and taking.“  
„Where you do the giving and I do the taking.“ Louis deadpans. Harry grins. „Yes. You take the food so I won’t have to run 5 km every day to stay fit.“  
„5 kilometers?!“ Louis screeches, his eyes bugging out of his face.  
„Yes.“ Harry lowers his face, pouting, looking up at Louis with puppy dog eyes.  
Louis groans. „Stop doing that!“  
„Mhhh?“ Harry keeps doing it.  
„Stop using your puppy eyes on me!“  
„But you would do me such a big favour. Pretty please, Lou.“ Harry whines and intensifies the pout.  
Louis narrows his eyes.  
Purses his lips.  
Tries to ignore the slow blink and pouty lips.  
He really tries.  
Louis huffs.  
„We can try.“ he grumbles.  
Harry jumps up and does a fist pump. „Yes!“  
Louis tries to fight off the smile wanting to creep on his lips „I hate you.“  
„Yeah, but you’ll love my food. I can live with that.“ Harry cheers and skips to his balcony door. „I’ll be right back, honey.“ he swoops inside, his grinning face the last to vanish from sight.  
Louis groans and puts his face into his hands, „What ’ave I gotten meself into?“ he grumbles and rubs his face forcefully. Mostly to get rid of the grin that is now plastered on his face.

Louis is just about to take another bite from the sandwich when Harry’s head pops out again. „How big is your hunger now? Do you need a little snack or was that“ Harry hesitates, looks at Louis' hands with the sandwich poised in front of his mouth, and wrinkles his nose „sandwich enough?“  
Louis blinks and snorts out a laugh. „The distaste on your face. How does the poor sandwich deserve that?“  
„Louis! Do you need more food?“  
„A tiny snack maybe? But make it sweet, please.“  
Harry gives him an open-mouthed smile „Perfect. Sweet snack coming right up!“ and vanishes again.

Louis is watching the crows when Harry comes out with two plates. He leans over the rail, handing Louis a plate with one rolled up Crepe with some berries sprinkled on top. His plate has 4 of the rolled-up Crepes.  
„They are fighting a lot today.“ Louis indicates the crows with his chin.  
Harry hums while sitting down „Mating season.“  
Oh right.  
Louis watches them fight for a little while longer.  
He takes his first bite when Harry has already eaten half of his stack.  
The moment the filling hits his tongue he is moaning again. „Oh my.“  
Harry looks at him with shining eyes.  
„You really have a thing for fillings.“ Louis says while shoving in another bite. Harry looks at him with big eyes and then snickers. Louis catches on to what he said and snorts. „Come on Styles, get your mind out of the gutter.“  
„Mhhh? I don’t know what you mean.“ Harry grins and shoves a whole rolled up crepe into his mouth. This time it’s Louis’ eyes that bug out and his mouth hangs open. Harry’s cheeks bulge with the amount of food, but he keeps his lips sealed and chews slowly. All the while staring at Louis with twinkling eyes. „Who is the one with the mind in the gutter now, Tomlinson?“ he teases once he has swallowed.  
Louis snaps into a grin „Not me!“ and resumes eating while Harry laughs one of his goofy, loud laughs.  
When they are finished they lean back and sit there in silence. Looking at the sky, the swaying trees that start to get green tips, the crows that are still very loud and very active. And they look at each other from time to time. Harry is getting drowsy and when he looks over to Louis he has his eyes closed. His mouth is relaxed, his lashes fan over his high cheek. The sun is shining and throws shadows on his face that enhance his cheekbones. The stubble on his jaw glitters in the sunlight. Harry sighs and closes his eyes too.

A particularly loud outburst of the crows pulls them out of their slumber. Both lazily blinking and stretching.  
„The need for procrastination is strong in these two.“ Harry rumbles and indicates the loudest pair of the crows.  
Louis slowly turns his head to him and raises an eyebrow. „Need for procrastination?“  
„I could have also said that these two really want to fuck, but that would have been a bit crass, wouldn’t it?“  
„Eh… Well yeah that … Yeah.“ Louis stutters.  
They both look at the birds fly a risky maneuver between two houses and Harry stops short.  
„Was that? Was that a Teletubby walking by just now?“ Harry sounds incredulous. Louis giggles.  
„Oh yes. He hasn’t worn that one in a while.“  
„Eh?“  
„This is a guy that lives around here somewhere.“ Louis points behind himself with a sweeping gesture „He always takes his walks in costumes.“  
„He does?“  
„Yeah. I like the Popeye one the best. He’s got a similar face.“  
Harry smiles softly. „And I like how you just don’t blink an eye about it.“  
„Oh. Believe me, I did blink an eye in the beginning. I had the unfortunate opportunity to meet him for the first time at night while being drunk and him wearing a batman costume.“  
Harry snorts „Sounds like really good timing.“  
„It was.“  
„You are not caring any way tho and that's nice. I am sure lots of people here are judgmental about him.“  
„They are. I’m not judging though because I know how it feels. It’s not fun. Being seen and feeling valid on the other hand, that feels amazing.“  
„It does indeed.“  
„And he is a nice fella. Works as a janitor in a school nearby and the kids love seeing him in his costumes outside of work. He does some charity with the costumes too. Visits hospitals and such.“  
Harry beams and looks back to the sidewalk where he saw him walk by. „So nice.“ he whispers and turns back to Louis. „People who do charity have my biggest respect.“  
Louis nods in agreement.  
„Do you do charity?“  
„Sometimes. When I had the chance on my travels. But never for long amounts of time.“ Harry frowns.  
„Well of course not. With your work, it was probably already hard to schedule anything bigger than just popping in.“  
Harry nods with a hum. „But I do donate a bit.“  
„Where?“  
„Uhm“ Harry scratches his collarbone, moving the neckline to the side and revealing some kind of inking on the top of his chest „There is an organization in South East Asia that helps girls and women to stay in education or get back into it. I’ve teamed up with them in Indonesia and in India on fundraisers. They are working on building a network all over Asia.“  
„That is a very good organization to support.“  
Harry hums in agreement. „Do you do charity work?“  
Louis starts fiddling with his cuffs. „A bit.“  
„A bit?“  
„Yep.“  
Harry smiles softly and waits for more but Louis winks at him and clears his throat. „How about some more questions?“  
„Oh. Uhm yeah, if you want to.“ Harry concedes but files the question about Louis charity work neatly away.  
„I want to.“ Louis says eagerly.  
„Do you have any questions?“  
„How about.“ Louis leans his head to the side and taps his finger on his mouth. „First time you earned money.“  
„Oh. Ok, that’s an easy one. I was 14 and delivered newspapers.“  
„A classic.“ Louis states and Harry nods in agreement „What about you?“  
„I was 15. Helped out in some kind of shop. Don’t even remember which one it was.“  
„Not?“  
„No. There were so many in the beginning. The one I do remember clearly was Toys’R’Us when I was 17. They didn’t kick me out.“ Louis muses.  
Harry cackles. „That sounds like all the others before did kick you out. Were they just assholes or were you one of those unreliable guys?“  
Louis snorts. „I kinda was the unreliable guy. Took me a few years to build working moral. You didn’t have that problem, right?“  
Harry hesitates. Good to know that he gave off the vibes of a reliable person.  
„No, I didn’t have problems with that. Needed the money and there wasn’t much work for a teenager in the tiny village I grew up in. I ended up in the bakery for a few years. The newspapers gave me a bad posture.“ Harry pouts.  
„A bakery?“Louis' voice goes into squeaky territory.  
„Yes a bakery.“ Harry nods solemnly with a big grin.  
„Well now I know where the food obsession comes from.“  
Harry laughs out loud. „Ok next question: First kiss.“  
„Oh. You are going for it, Harold.“  
Harry shrugs with a grin.  
„First kiss was in year 5.“ Harry’s eyebrows rise „I don’t remember much about it, to be honest.“  
„Of course not. You were 10! And here I thought you were a late bloomer.“ Harry laughs.  
„I was.“ Louis mumbles and Harry stops laughing  
„Oh. It was a girl?“  
„Yep.“ Louis pops the p. „What about you?“  
„Was a girl for me too. I was 13. Went to the river with her.“  
„Ooooohhhhhh“ Louis waggles his eyebrows.  
„What? I was trying to be romantic.“ Harry blushes and starts fiddling with one of his rings. „What about the other first kiss?“  
Louis takes a deep breath, looking at the sky. „I was 19, nearly 20. Just started studying. Went out partying with some fellow students. We ended up in a gay bar, God knows why. I lost my group and a guy started flirting with me. We ended up snogging quite hard and I went home crying my eyes out.“  
„Oh.“  
„Yeah.“  
„Denial?“  
„Quite the opposite.“ Louis chuckles. His eyes a bit shiny. „I guess I always kinda knew but held myself back. He opened the floodgates.“  
„Did you see him again?“  
„No.“ Louis smiles crookedly. „Yours?“  
„Uhhh well. I went to Manchester with my then ex to test the theory.“  
„Eh?“  
„We went to a gay bar. A few times actually.“  
„Eh??“  
„Want the whole story?“ Harry chuckles.  
„Yes, please. This sounds like a soap opera.“  
„Ok so, my last girlfriend, Amber. We broke up because of Kurt from Glee.“ Louis makes a weird squeaky sound in lieu of again asking for clarification.  
„We always watched Glee together. You know Glee?“  
Louis nods, his mouth slightly open.  
„Ok, so we watched that show and Kurt, like he… let's say I was very fascinated by him. And Amber picked up on that and we talked about it. In the end, we broke up because of that talk and she dragged me to Manchester into a gay bar. Repeatedly.“  
„Wow. This is a soap opera.“  
„It kinda is.“ Harry chuckles. „I met Jam there.“  
„Jam?“  
„Hehe yeah. Actually James but he was so cute and sweet and soft. Everyone called him Jam. He was my first first kiss.“  
„You dated?“  
„For a few months yeah.“  
„Nice.“  
„It was. Nothing dramatic. Just teenagers dating.“  
„And Amber was fine with that?“  
„Very much so. She turned into something like a cheerleader.“ Harry laughs and Louis joins in.  
„A soap opera.“ Louis states with an eye roll and exasperated sigh.  
„Yeah. But that’s ok. I need something weird in my life story.“  
„Said the guy who has traveled more countries than probably 90% of the earth's population. If you haven’t seen weird then I don’t know what to expect from life.“  
Harry tilts his head and contemplates. „Maybe seeing so much has made me immune to most kinds of weird stuff.“  
„And soap operas somehow stayed weird?“  
„I mean“ Harry shrugs in a duh-way and Louis snickers. „They are a very different kind of weird.“  
Harry furrows his brows. „I just remembered.“  
„Oh-oh.“  
„Do we count kisses in kindergarten?“  
„Excuse me?“  
„If we count kisses in kindergarten than I had both my first kisses there.“  
Louis is gaping at Harry. Then bursts out laughing. „I can see you do that. Probably charmed all the kindergarten teachers too with that smile of yours.“  
„I did.“ Harry gives him a big, dimply smile.  
„But they don’t count if you can’t remember.“  
„Ok. Good, good, good.“ Harry mumbles and pinches his bottom lip. „Now what did you study?“  
Louis purses his lips. „Guess.“  
„I’d say something with theater. Because you are so“ he pauses for effect „dramatic.“  
Harry bursts out laughing when Louis throws his head back with a groan. „That was bad. Really bad.“ Harry giggles and scrunches his nose, then fluffs up his hair and swoops it back to the right.  
„Oh, man. Who made you this way? It’s embarrassing.“  
„And you find it funny.“ Harry grins.  
„I do not!“  
„Your lips are betraying you, Lou. I see the grin.“  
„I don’t know what you think you see but I am not grinning.“ Louis rubs his face in an attempt to get rid of the grin.  
Harry giggles.  
Louis groans and hides his face in his hands.  
„It’s ok. I won’t tell anyone.“ Harry stage whispers.  
Louis lifts his head just enough to shoot Harry a glare. „You better not.“  
Harry makes the zipped lips motion, his eyes twinkling.  
„You are embarrassing.“  
Harry’s grin grows wider. „Now how far off was I?“  
„Huh?“  
„With you having studied theater?“  
„Oh. You are spot-on, actually. I got a BA in drama and English literature.“  
„Wow. You are a theater person. Where did you study?“  
„Doncaster the first 4 semesters, then went to Royal Holloway University here in London.“  
„Wow. How’d you get in there?“  
„Drama prof. She said I am too good to be graduating from an unknown college so she asked for some favours. Was supposed to go to Manchester at first but then London came through.“  
„Manchester?“ Harry squeaks „When was that?“  
„Uhhh“ Louis mumbles for a bit, looking at his hands while counting with his fingers „2013.“ He looks at Harry who stares at him. „Wait. Were you studying in Manchester?“  
Harry gulps „We could have met.“  
„Good that we haven’t. I was a brat back then.“ And also very much not single, but he doesn’t say that one out loud.  
Harry narrows his eyes and tilts his head. Louis looks right back. It feels as if Harry does not believe him but he doesn’t say a word. Just stares right into him. Louis opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. When he lifts his hand to fix his fringe, the loose sleeve slips down a bit. Revealing his wrist.  
Harry zeroes in on it and furrows his brows. „You are tattooed.“  
Louis looks at his right hand „Yeah.“ then looks at Harry „Hadn’t you seen yet?“  
„No. You always wrap up so much.“  
„I freeze easily.“ Louis explains. Not quite sure why exactly he explains.  
„Can I see the tattoo?“  
Louis pushes the sleeve up a bit more and Harry’s eyes bug out. “There is more!“ he squeaks happily and Louis smiles at him. „That makes you inordinately happy.“  
„I like tattoos. No. I love tattoos!“ Harry cheers and stands up to get a better look at Louis' outstretched arm. He leans on the partition and studies the chaos that is Louis' left arm. „Wow. So much happening there.“ Harry looks up to Louis’ face „Do you have more?“  
„Yes.“  
Harry lets his eyes roam over Louis' body. Imagining where more ink could be hidden. He doesn’t ask though and Louis gulps when he sees the look in Harry’s eyes. They are dark and boring into him, but then Harry shakes his head, ruffles through his hair and sits back down. „Any stories attached to them?“  
Louis is still feeling quite exposed even though Harry’s eyes are no longer fixed on him so intensely.  
„No. They are all random stuff. No story behind any of them, whatsoever.“ he deadpans and Harry looks up at him, nodding slowly. „Ok.“  
Louis raises his eyebrows.  
What? Why did Harry just accept that?  
Then Louis snickers.  
„I’m joking, Curly.“  
Harry furrows his brows and looks down at his hands. Fingers squishing his pinky. There is a soft smile on his lips. „I know, Lou. I was just giving you room.“  
Oh.  
Ok, well, Louis can handle that.  
He can totally handle that.  
He leans back and pulls his legs up, hugging them to his chest.  
„Thank you?“ he says very softly and rubs his nose with his sleeve. He continues more surely „There is no way I would put meaningless things on my body for eternity. Some of them are stupid but even those have a meaning.“  
Harry looks up, elbows resting on his knees and fixes him with a lop-sided grin. „From your time as a brat?“  
Louis grins, his eyes crinkling „Yes.“  
He pushes up his right sleeve again, still hugging his knees to his chest, turns his arm a bit and indicates a large part of his lower inner arm that for all intents and purposes looks like a sketchpad. There is a stickman skateboarding, a horseshoe, a bomb, Harry leans closer to see it better, a tape? Louis follows his gaze and taps it. „This one is actually my newest.“  
„Ahhh. That’s why it looks as if it hasn’t sunk in yet.“  
Louis laughs softly. „Yeah it really hasn’t.“ He remembers why he’d gotten it and Niall’s astounded expression when he’d told him. „You gonna get one for every record with your song on? Because then you should have two tapes there already.“ Niall had joked and made Louis huff „No. This one is for the first recorded and published song that I actively wrote on, Niall. Thank you for giving me that chance.“  
Harry keeps looking. There is a lit match and a cup of steaming tea, or coffee maybe.“ Tea or coffee?“ he pulls Louis out of his thoughts.  
„Tea of course!“ The indignation in Louis' answer is very clear.  
„Sorry.“ Harry chuckles.  
There is also a globe, Harry has a guess as to why that became a tattoo. It’s a bit more detailed than the rest of the sketchpad. And then there is the compass. That one is a whole different story. It’s a really good design, very detailed and realistic.  
„I like the compass.“ he states and Louis smiles softly. He thumbs the design and turns his arm a little to the left and right. The shifting muscles of his arm make it look as if it’s becoming real. „Me too.“ he says.  
Harry narrows his eyes and leans a bit closer „Is it pointing north?“  
„It’s pointing home.“ Louis whispers, his voice breaking a bit at the last word.  
Harry blinks. Not sure why he is suddenly flooded with such a fierce longing.  
His eyes are stinging.  
His right hand involuntarily touches the ship on his left arm and he tries to swallow around the lump in his throat. It’s not working so he clears his throat and ruffles through his hair. When he looks up, eyes still welling up, Louis is looking right back at him, his eyes glassy too. „Why are we crying?“ he laughs and rubs his eyes with a sniff. „I dunno.“ Harry chuckles. „We are saps, probably.“ Louis snorts a laugh and nods in agreement.  
„Anyway.“ he says more cheerfully and turns his arm so the huge bird design comes on display „Want to hear about the swift?“  
„Oh, it’s a swift? I was wondering. It’s not as common as a tattoo. People usually get a swallow.“  
Louis raises his brows „There is no way that I, a gay man, will get a swallow tattooed on me.“ he deadpans.  
Harry’s eyes bug out of his face and he turns a bright shade of pink. He ruffles his hair, swoops it back and coughs while trying not to think of his chest tattoo.  
„You are fun to rile up.“ Louis snickers.  
„Am I?“ Harry’s voice breaks embarrassingly.  
Louis snickers a bit more, his eyes twinkling with amusement. „Very much so. Anyway. Want to hear the swift story?“  
„Tell me the swift story.“ Harry rumbles thankful for the distraction and leans back. Pulling his legs sideways up to his body, effectively knotting himself into the chair.  
Louis lowers his knees to the sides a bit, lays his arm down and starts tracing the design that takes up half of his forearm.  
„So about two years ago I met a guy through some work connections. He is heavily tattooed and fun to be around. He even has his own tattoo kit and sometimes uses it on friends or they on him. We talk a lot about tattoos and their meanings to us. Once I visited him for a few days and he had some other friends over and we looked at some tattoo designs and I saw this bird design and, I dunno why, it kinda spoke to me?“ He looks up to see if Harry understands, Harry nods and hums. „So, me being super enthusiastic, I say: I need this design! Just a different bird. This is so amazing and cool! And one of the other guys asks me what kind of bird, so we get to think about which one would fit me, I suggest a swift after a bit of thinking and E— uhm, my friend says: Oh yes. Their screams are nearly as piercing as yours.“  
Harry snorts a laugh.  
Louis pulls a face at him but then grins. „Which is kinda true. As a kid, I tried to scream with them when they swooped between the houses.“  
„Probably driving your neighbours crazy.“  
Louis shrugs with a grin „So I looked them up to see if they have any bad meaning. They were apparently once seen as the devil's birds. Which is always a nice addition. But mostly they are amazing aviators and closest related to hummingbirds.“  
„Oh? I thought swallows.“  
„Apparently not. And well a hummingbird…“ Louis indicates himself with both hands. „But not really a hummingbird, because those tattoos are cliche as fuck.“  
Harry snickers „A bit yeah.“  
„So I thought. This one fits. It is pretty useless when it’s not flying, but when it flies it just is really good at it?“ He chews his lip while looking at Harry who nods. „It’s an uplifting thought.“  
Louis gives a sharp nod „Yeah and it fit my situation back then. I…“ he stops himself but then squares his shoulders „I felt like I had taken flight for the first time back then.“  
Harry’s smile grows broader, his dimples popping.  
„That one guy then asks me where I would want it and I show him this area“ Louis indicates his forearm. „I didn’t even think about it. Spur of the moment decision.“ He looks down at Harry’s upper thigh and Harry’s eyes follow his. Understanding the implication of just like you with the Brazil tattoo. „And he gets out a sketchpad and starts drawing one in that style.“ Louis' voice goes higher. Harry is hit with realisation. „Ohhhh. He was the tattoo artist of the one you saw at the beginning?“  
„He was.“ Louis laughs. „4 hours later I had a new tattoo.“  
Harry cackles.  
„That is random.“  
„It is. And that’s how I acquired Eloise.“  
„Eloise?“  
„That’s her name.“ Louis boobs the bird's beak.  
„Cute. Any reason behind that?“  
„No. Just liked the name.“  
„So you didn’t know that Eloise means famous warrior?“  
„It… what?“ Louis looks between the bird and Harry, „I mean. It fits.“ he shrugs after a moment.  
They fall silent, both taking a drink of water.  
Louis contemplates checking the time but decides against it.  
It’s a bit colder today than yesterday. The sun is shining but there is also a bit of wind keeping everything a bit cool. The breeze ruffles both their hair and Louis reaches up to fix his fringe just when Harry does the same. Louis looks at his forehead and remembers something. „By the way.“  
Harry looks up in confusion „Oh oh. You sound like my mum when I got up to something.“  
„Care to tell me the real reason why you were named Harry?“  
Harry’s eyes go round and he grins broadly. „That was fast.“  
Louis just raises an eyebrow, making Harry giggle. „I might have been named after an ambulance worker or Prince Harry. Don’t ask me which, my mum can’t decide which one was the reason.“  
„Okey.“ Louis drags out the word.  
„For explanation. I did not lie to you with malicious intent. It’s just a thing I tell people and then wait to see when they’ll figure out that the book came out after I was born.“  
„Cheeky.“  
„Yup.“ Harry pops the p and gives Louis an exaggerated wink. „There are friends from my home town that haven’t asked me about it yet.“  
„There are?“ Louis giggles. „Maybe they figured it out but don’t want to burst your bubble.“  
„Maybe. One of them would totally do that.“ Harry muses, long fingers kneading his bottom lip.  
Louis thinks about why he didn’t do that. The thought of protecting Harry from the harsh reality is very strongly pushing to the front of his mind but the thought of hiding something from him feels all kinds of wrong. Harry seems to be this soft creature that loves pastel-colored or weird socks and rainbows and yoga and might have pink, soft blankets on his sofa and has about a million nervous gestures, but he also has that penetrating gaze that makes Louis feel as if Harry looks at his innermost thoughts with total clarity and he traveled the world and has built a business out of nothing but his love for getting to know people and food. He might have a soft heart and probably also a way to big heart but he also knows how to take care of himself and be professional.  
Louis sighs.  
„On a completely different note.“ Harry’s low voice nudges him out of his thoughts. „Yesterday you said you have a gaming round with your friends?“  
„Yeah.“  
„Could you give me a few tips for that? I am trying to do that with a few friends and family to keep the video calls a bit entertaining.“  
„Of course, Curly. Would you want a short rundown or you could just join our next round on Sunday.“  
Harry looks at him with furrowed brows „Would that be ok?“  
„I’d have to ask them but it’s probably ok with them.“  
„Ok then ask them.“ Harry says.  
„Will do that.“ Louis smiles and thinks of how much fun that could turn out to be or how it could go utterly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this one.  
> As always thank you for reading, please leave a comment.
> 
> Also a special thanks to wiHLma my new (and first beta) that joined just before the last chapter and helped me make this one a lot less confusing
> 
> I also added dates into the chapters to give a better insight into the timeline and progression


	8. Louis watches the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little prelude and working towards the Sunday  
> A few small scenes with a bit of talking, Louis starts watching Harry's videos, Harry is clumsy and something unexpected happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to wiHLma again for beta-ing
> 
> Texts are in cursive

Monday, 6th of April

Louis  
_My dear disciples  
Could Harry join our game night next Sunday?  
_  
Oli  
_That was kind of anticlimactic  
I was expecting a pompous speech  
_  
Lottie  
👀 

Luke  
_So you want us to meet your future spouse?  
_  
Louis  
_What?  
No, Luke  
He wants some tips for doing something entertaining on video calls so I thought he could join and see for himself  
_  
Niall  
_We get to see Harry???  
_  
Louis  
_I offered him he could partake  
Because that's easier than explaining offline  
Well yeah you get to see him if you agree, Niall  
_  
Hope  
_I mean we are curious about him  
Let him join and we’ll grill him  
_  
Lottie  
_And checking him out  
_  
Louis  
_Maybe better not than  
_  
Oli  
_Clara and I say ok  
_  
Luke  
_Me 2  
_  
Hope  
_three  
_  
Niall  
_Me tenfold!!!  
_  
Luke  
_Want to see if he is actually good looking  
_  
Lottie  
_Oh yes please  
_  
Louis  
_Luke?  
Lottie!! Behave!  
And what’s up with the enthusiasm, Niall?  
I would have thought you would be the least inclined to say yes  
_  
Niall  
_You do? Why?  
_  
Louis  
_You are our household celebrity. And I remember staying private with some things was a thing for you  
_  
Niall  
_Yeah but I like to get to know new people  
And he is a cook  
_  
Louis  
_Oookey  
_  
Niall  
_He. Is. A. Cook. Louis!  
I like him already  
And worst he can do is post a video of us having fun  
_  
Oli  
_And he makes you smile, Louis  
_  
Hope  
_He really does. It’s refreshing  
_  
Lewis  
_I would like to say that I say yes, too  
_  
Niall  
_Lewis my friend. How have you been?  
_  
Louis  
_Hy Lewis. Are you planning on joining this time?  
_  
Lewis  
_No  
_  
Niall  
😂

Lewis  
_I am good, Niall my darling.  
_  
Hope  
_Is it settled then?  
Sunday we’ll see Harry?  
_  
Louis  
_I guess so?  
_  
Hope  
_*Starts writing notes to grill the newbie  
_  
Louis  
_I kinda regret asking  
Are you all ok?  
_  
Niall  
_Yup, I’m perfect  
_  
Oli  
_Very good, thanks for asking  
_  
Luke  
_Just one tiny thing  
_  
Louis  
_What is it?  
_  
Luke  
_Is he gay tho?  
_  
Lottie  
_He is not!  
Is he?  
Louis?  
_  
Niall  
_I love how you already claimed him, Lottie. Without knowing anything about him  
_  
Lottie  
_Oh I know enough alright  
Louis only ever skips the detailed description when the person is super fit  
_  
Luke  
_You’ve got a point there  
_  
Louis  
_Go back to work!  
_

Wednesday, 8th of April

Louis wakes up and does not know why. No alarm, no loud noises, no sun shining into the bedroom. The later would only happen when it’s afternoon because that’s when the sun reaches inside his bedroom window. Louis would have been fine with that.  
He looks at the clock. It shows him 8 a.m. on the dot.  
„Why am I awake?“ he grumbles and pulls the blanket over his head. Everything goes a bit muted. The light, the sounds, all soften around him. Louis blinks and looks at the design of the linen. It’s flamingoes and pineapples and leaves and watermelons and flowers. Courtesy to the twins and Lottie.  
He boops one of the flamingoes on the beak.  
Louis should be tired. He’d worked the whole day yesterday, only taking a break when Harry called for him from the balcony and pressed a plate with sausages, mashed potatoes, and peas into his hand. Louis was surprised to see something so ordinary but it turned out that the sausages where not just vegan but also very spicy and the mash was rounded up with a ton of herbs, which gave it a very springy green color. They’d talked a bit. Louis told him that the group was fine with him joining the game round and quickly went back to work after that. He ended up doing the workload of two days, working until 3:30 in the morning, and fell into bed without even taking a shower. His plan had been to sleep as long as possible and then have a lazy day, watching Harry’s videos.  
He peeks out under the covers. The clock blinking 8:03 a.m. at him.  
„So unfair.“ Louis whines with a pout and rolls out from under the covers.  
He takes his time under the shower. Lathering up his hair, forming it into a spike and taking care to wash all the small spots he often forgets. The spot on his back that he can only reach with the bath brush, his neck get’s a thorough scrub, and also between his toes, we all know you forget those too so stop judging him. After that, he rinses off and scrubs himself dry with a thick towel to get the blood moving. A look in the mirror shows him thick shadows under his eyes. Nothing much he can do against those right now. He grabs his moisturiser and puts it on, skips the deodorant, after all, he will only sit in front of his computer, and then starts to apply body milk to counter all rough patches. There are quite a few more this time, his skin so dry that it soaks up the body milk instantly.  
When he walks into the kitchen to make a very strong cup of tea he feels soft and a bit polished.  
„Haven’t done that routine in a while.“ he murmurs, sniffing at his arm that softly smells like peaches and cream. Usually, the whole procedure was reserved for going out nights. But it makes him feel good. Louis wonders why he does it so rarely when he feels so good afterwards.  
While the tea steeps and 2 croissants bake in the oven he walks into the living room and boots up the computer. The wooden floor feels good under his naked feet until he hits a patch off dirt. He shakes his foot and wipes it off on his trouser leg. Maybe he should take a few minutes of his lazy day to vacuum.  
Back in the kitchen he adds a splash of milk to his tea, takes a sip and hums in satisfaction. The croissants go onto a plate with some butter, a brownish nut cream that Clara had advised him to finish better earlier than later, and a wrinkled apple.  
„This looks way too healthy for my standards.“ Louis grumbles while he balances the plate and cup to the living room.  
Before he sits down he tips the window open. Cool air is flowing in and he fetches a blanket from the couch. It’s the granny square blanket from a friend of grandma Jen and it molds around him like a sea of colorful flowers.  
Louis wraps himself up and folds into the chair before opening youtube.

He finds the channel easy enough and when he looks into the community part of the page he sees another linked channel and stops short.  
„No.“  
He clicks on the weird banana logo.  
„No fockin way. Why? Man, I thought this was a parody channel. Why did he choose such a pic?“  
He subscribes and grumbles for a bit. No wonder he didn’t find Harry’s channel when he’d looked for it.  
How could he have known that the cartoon picture of a banana was not a parody account? Apparently that was a mistake.  
Also, what's up with the channel names? EnFood at least makes a bit of sense, Louis groans when he imagines Harry’s, no doubt pun-y, explanation, but U R Bananas? Really?  
„I don’t even want to know.“ he rolls his eyes and goes back to the EnFood channel. There is a new video from yesterday. Louis clicks on that and leans back.

10 minutes later, Louis is heavily breathing and wide-eyed, gripping the blanket to his chest. Did he really just watch Harry walk up to a group of heavily armed militia guys and ask: „Excuse me, sir. I beg your pardon. Could you let us through please?“? And did those guys actually fire warning shots so he would stop approaching?  
Louis is still wide-eyed and shaky when the video cuts to a different scene. Harry sitting in the shadows of a house, leaning against a bare wall, explaining that the militia was preventing them to enter a territory of unrest that no one had informed them off prior. So they had to cancel their planned route and improvise.  
Harry seems collected at first glance, face just a bit strained, his voice steady, but Louis sees his shaking fingers pinching the seem of his t-shirt excessively and he will definitely not forget how Harry blanched when the shots where fired.  
The episode ends with a meal cooked with the family of their guide. Harry looks a bit more relaxed, his skin color has returned to a golden tan instead of pale as a sheet, and Louis sighs in relief.  
When the video ends he looks into the description box.  
„Throwback to April 2015 in Congo, shortly after Liam joined, when I was dumb enough to approach a group of armed people.  
We got out of it unscathed but were a lot more careful in the future.“  
Louis scoffs and rolls his eyes „You better did!“  
Then he looks back at Harry in the video and scowls. 2015? How does he look nearly the same now? His hair is quite a bit longer now and he’s got a bit of a scruff going on most days but other than that Louis could have sworn that the clip happened only a few months ago.  
He shakes his head and takes his abandoned tea. It’s not yet cold. He drinks it in one go.  
„Now what? Going straight for another episode? Maybe I should check how many episodes I am dealing with here.“ Louis mumbles to himself „Or I’ll go for the most viewed first.“ he muses while scrolling through the EnFood upload list. And scrolls. And scrolls a bit more.  
„What the?“  
How many are there?  
Louis scowls.  
He switches to the U R Bananas channel.  
It’s the same there.  
„Ok wait I need to note that down.“ Louis takes a notepad and starts scrolling from the top again, taking notes.  
Goes back to the EnFood channel and does the same there.  
10 minutes later he stares at the numbers.  
728 videos?  
Sevenhundredandtwentyeight?  
„Wait how big are these cha…“  
Louis stops.  
3,4 million subscribers? „What in the name off…“ Louis switches to the U R Bananas channel „3.9 Million??? What? How is that even…“ he clicks on the link to Harry’s Instagram, 2.3 million followers there.  
„What the actual fock!“  
Harry is actually big.  
Like there might be people walking around in London that would recognize him.  
Louis takes a deep breath.  
„Well then“ he bites into the croissant and scrolls down to the very first video. It’s on the EnFood channel and the thumbnail is of woods that look a bit British. „Let’s see your roots, Styles.“

Harry is sitting on his couch, laptop open on the table, Zayn visible on the screen.  
They have been chatting for a while now, catching up on each other.  
„I like that you kept the scruffy beard.“  
„Haha. Yeah, some of the parents like that too. Some colleagues not so much.“  
„No?“  
„They say it looks unprofessional.“  
Harry scoffs „You are an art teacher. The scruff is pretty much in the job description.“  
„Hehe. They can’t do anything anyway. It’s already enough that I can’t tattoo visible parts of my body.“  
„Uhhh. How are you dealing with that?“  
„It’s ok for now. Lot’s of skin to cover that I can hide under long sleeves.“ Zayn winks and grins.  
Harry snickers with him.  
„And you are happy where you are now.“ It’s not really a question. It’s obvious in how Zayn’s face is soft and content.  
„I am. I really am Haz. It’s a bit stuffy but the kids are simply amazing.“ His dark eyes start to sparkle. „I didn’t think it would make me so happy to see them grow into their artistry and also into themselves, but it does.“  
„I am so glad for you, Pho.“ Harry says softly.  
„And you still got time to paint, which is always amazing.“  
Zayn nods and scratches his chin, his eyes wandering around, seeming to follow someone behind the screen.  
„I never got around to ask you. Why were there so many paintings?“ Harry breaks the short silence.  
„Where?“ Zayn scowls in genuine confusion.  
„There were 7 paintings in the hallway. The one for the kitchen and then 6 others.“  
„Uhm-„  
„I’m not complaining. They are all amazing!“ Harry assures hastily.  
„It’s all the stuff I painted for you over the years. That’s all.“  
„Mhhh?“  
„Like. I paint for friends when the mood strikes but I never could give you yours because you were always anywhere but here. This is everything I painted with you on my mind over the last years.“ Zayn looks to the side and then back at Harry.  
Harry’s mouth falls open.  
„You can consider this your late birthday present if that helps.“ Zayn chuckles.  
„Uhm- wow- Thank you, Pho! That is really the best present I’ve got in a while. I’ll still pay you for the big one though.“ He adds on with a pout.  
„Yes, please do that.“ Zayn chuckles.  
„Than how about you give me your transfer details like I ask you to for weeks now?“  
Zayn rolls his eyes and starts typing the details in the chat.  
„There you go, H. Happy now?“  
Harry beams at him.  
„Very much so. Thank you so much.“  
He goes about to transfer the money and mumbles distractedly. „Did you see it in the new episodes?“  
„I did, yes. It looks really good. Especially in daylight.“  
„Very appetizing.“ Harry nods and unconsciously licks his lips. „I’ve got inquiries as to where I got it from.“  
„You did?“  
„Yeah. I told them that it's from you and that you do not take commissions.“ He looks up at the small window with Zayn’s face „Some people actually remembered you.“  
„Really?“ Zayn’s eyes go big „Wait. There are still people watching the old videos?“  
„There are. And some of the first viewers also stuck around since the beginning.“  
„Wow.“  
„Wow indeed.“

„I think I’ve never seen someone giggle that much.“ Louis grouses while a fond smile plays around the edges of his mouth.  
2014 Harry turns out to be an adorable puppy that walks towards everyone with a genuine smile and makes friends in literal minutes, even if he doesn’t speak the language of his target. He is gangly, hasn’t filled out yet, but the build of a boxer's body is already there, broad shoulders, thin waist. He also has a penchant for flailing limbs, twirling around randomly, hugging people and doing that thing with the hair where he ruffles and swoops it back. His hair is long, easily hanging lower than his collarbones, and curly. Louis wants to pull at it a bit.  
The channel started out as a kind of diary for Harry and his 1 year of traveling the world while he takes a break from studying. There are lots of vlog-style recordings and tons of panning over nature. But Harry’s enthusiasm about it is very infectious and his randomly strewn in knowledge keeps people engaged. Like, it wasn’t necessary for Harry to mention that the first set of matryoshka dolls was made in 1890 and consisted of 8 dolls while they passed through Russia in a train, but it made the whole train ride scene less boring and it started a conversation about traditional dolls in that region with a fellow passenger that sat 3 rows ahead. Louis sees how Harry could get so big in less than 6 years.  
He looks good yes, the aesthetic of the skinny jeans paired with band t-shirts, hoodies and sturdy shoes definitely works for him. But he is also entertaining in a random kind of way and engaging. To round it off his travel companion for the first year turns out to be the guy that delivered the paintings a few weeks ago. He pops up in frame pretty often in the beginning but the further Louis watches the less he is seen. He is still heard though. His dry commentary makes Louis laugh out loud more often than not. „Harry! You did not just eat that!“ or „How about licking the tree?“ (Harry did lick that tree) or „Mhhh. I always wanted to try eating a rock.“ when Harry offers him a piece of Tibetan dried cheese.  
There is also the thing with Harry’s voice. He has a deep, soft voice and he talks really slow. As if every word carries the weight of the world and needs to be considered thoroughly. It has a very calming effect but is also soporific. That’s the last thing Louis needs today. He counters that by watching the videos on double speed.

Four hours later his stomach grumbles while watching Harry devour a huge amount of rice after having trekked a mountain pass. Louis feels sufficiently insufficient and lazy as fuck. He stretches and detangles himself from the blanket that is now wound around him tightly from all his fidgeting and changing positions. He walks into the kitchen to check for food options but nothing looks appealing. 

„Do you still have some of the egg curry from last week?“ Louis leans over the rail and looks at Harry who is crouched down looking at a measuring tape.  
He looks up, eyebrows knitted in confusion, „Uhm— hi Louis.“  
„Hi.“ Louis says softly „Sorry for interrupting“ he pauses and looks at the measuring tape „whatever you are doing right now.“  
„Measuring my balcony?“ Harry says with a glint to his eyes. A smirk playing around his lips.  
„Yeah but why?“  
„So I’ll know how big it is.“ Harry is grinning now.  
Louis narrows his eyes at him. „Are we a bit sassy today Mr Styles?“  
„Only for you.“ Harry chuckles and pushes himself up from his knees. „Egg Curry? I still have a portion. Do you want it?“  
Louis breaks into a grin „Yes please. If you don’t have other plans for it.“ he says but Harry has already walked inside.  
He is back outside with the glass container and hands it over to Louis „Thaw it first with a couple of 2-minute intervals and take the lid off. When it’s soft you can go higher. Make sure to stir afterwards so you won’t b“ „Harold!“  
„What?“  
„I am not 5. I know how to microwave food!“  
„Oh. Ok. Just wanted to make sure.“ Harry rubs his neck and looks at his toes.  
Louis feels like a bad person. He shouldn’t bark at Harry when he is keeping him fed and happy. „Thank you for caring, Curly.“ he says softly, trying to catch his eyes. His hand hovering right at the edge of the balcony partition.  
Harry’s head comes back up, he looks at Louis with a small smile. „You are welcome. Enjoy your meal.“ he says while turning back to the tape.  
„I will.“ Louis says and walks back inside.

It takes him a little over 9 hours to watch the first year of the EnFood channel. Thanks to double speed. Louis claps himself on the shoulder for that. If he keeps this up he will not need months to go through all the videos.  
Even though he misses Harry’s slow drawl a tiny bit.  
The last video before they come back home is visibly different from the first ones. They learned a lot about filming and creating tension and how to word a title to get clicks in. It’s apparent that they were already thinking of doing this longterm and trying out things to be more relevant. The videos are a far cry from professional level but they are also not just two students going on a hike and making a random vlog about it either.  
Louis goes into the kitchen, throws a frozen pizza into the oven, and while it bakes, reluctantly takes the hoover to do a rough cleaning of the floors.  
Half an hour later he sits back down, pizza on a food board, a bottle of juice beside it and starts the 2015 playlist with the very first video after Harry went back home. There was a significant break of 4 weeks and Louis is curious as to what happened.

The video starts with a full frontal of Harry.  
With short hair.  
„What? No!“ Louis exclaims. „Why?“  
„Hello.“ Harry waves into the camera, smiling with dimples on display. „Sorry for taking so long. Like I said in the last videos I had to go back home, make some decisions and also find a new travel companion.“ Louis lowers the speed to normal because Harry is speaking rather fast. His eyes are sparkling and he doesn’t stop smiling. „I also cut my hair and donated it to the Little Princess Trust. I’ll put the link into the description below.“  
Louis smiles. „Well ok that's alright then.“ He mumbles while Harry rattles on.  
„I did take care of some administrative things and said goodby to Zayn as he will go back to becoming an art teacher. So without further ado lets go back to traveling.“ Harry gives the camera a beaming smile and the video cuts to a montage of airports, bags, beanies and sleep-rumpled Harry. The montage ends with them arriving in Italy.  
Louis ends up eating pizza simultaneously with the onscreen Harry.  
The video is visibly different. The shots and cuts are more dynamic. A bit choppy, the intention of making it less slow-paced is very clear to Louis and he doesn’t even think of cranking up the speed. The video and audio quality also went up a lot. Seems like they invested into a better camera.  
Louis likes the video just before the autoplay starts the next one.

Louis falls into bed at 10:30 p.m.  
His head full with dimpled smiles, flailing limbs and giggles.  
„So unfair.“ he mumbles while he rolls himself into the blanket.

Thursday, 9th of April

Louis sits on the balcony, his chair turned only halfway to the side when Harry comes out with a huge plate of pastries. He looks up the moment he hears Harry’s feet shuffle and Harry is hit with very blue eyes. He blinks and tries to not lose the grip on the plate.  
„I bring pastries dear sir.“ he announces  
„Very well my dear friend. I prepared hot cups of tea to accompany the treats you made.“  
„That was a very wise decision and very kind as well.“ Harry places the plate on the stool so Louis can snake his hand through the fence to take as much of the pastries as he wants, and takes the offered cup of steaming tea from Louis.  
„What do we have here, chef?“ Louis leans forward to inspect the food.  
„We have the easter classic hot cross buns and very fresh jam tarts. There is also easter bread if you want that.“  
„We can do the easter bread tomorrow. I’ve been craving the jam tarts since you said you’d make them.“  
Harry freezes.  
Did he mention that he would make jam tarts?  
He can’t remember mentioning it to Louis.  
Did Louis watch his Instagram live?  
„Di.. did you…watch?“  
„Watch your live? Yes, I did. At least for a part. I still had to finish something and hearing you put them tarts together was a bit distracting. Why do you look so scared all of a sudden?“  
„Oh… uhm.“  
Harry ducks his head, ruffles his hair and chuckles.  
His stomach fluttering with nerves.  
Why is the thought of Louis watching him so alarming?  
Harry opens and closes his mouth a few times but can’t think of a reply.  
„What kind of jam did you use?“ Louis asks, seemingly oblivious to Harry’s current dilemma.  
„Uhm… lemon curd and raspberry.“  
„Ha! Yes!“ Louis exclaims and goes in for a pair of raspberry tarts. „I freaking love raspberry. Dunno why everyone goes for strawberry when raspberry is an option.“ He says and takes a bite off the first one. Harry is again rewarded by Louis' face going soft, eyes closed with the corners of his mouth curling up into a smile that Harry likes to think off as the food happy smile. Louis groans softly and stuffs the rest of the tart in.  
„I know what you mean. Strawberry is a bit overused but that's probably because it’s cheaper to produce.“  
„Oh?“ Louis goes for the next tart.  
„Raspberries are harder to harvest because they are smaller and softer than strawberries.“ Harry explains.  
„Mhhh, that makes sense. It’s a shame though.“ Louis nods.  
„It is.“ Harry agrees and has an idea. He starts grinning. „Did you know that strawberries are not really berries? Same goes for raspberries.“  
Louis stops in his movement. Looks to the half-eaten tart in his hand, at Harry, at the tart, and back at Harry again „Come again?“  
Harry chuckles.  
„They are both aggregate fruit.“  
„Okey.“ Louis drags the word out. He wants to ask what the hell an aggregate fruit is but he also doesn’t want to. Before he can make up his mind, Harry resumes talking.  
„And when you go by the definition of what constitutes a berry, which is: a fleshy fruit without a stone or pit, then you get a list containing amongst other things bananas, coffee, eggplant“  
„Eh?“  
„Grape, pumpkin, cucumber and watermelon.“ Harry snickers when he sees Louis' mouth hang open. Eyebrows knitted in confusion. He is silent for a moment, visibly thinking. His forehead wrinkled and his eyes dancing from one side to the other as if he is reading something that is written in the air.  
„So, please correct me if I’m wrong. If you’d make a pumpkin eggplant curry. That would be a berry curry?“  
Harry considers and laughs „That is correct. Also a nice idea. Thank you for that.“  
„And watermelon? That just sounds plain wrong.“ Louis shakes his head. „How could watermelon be a berry?“  
„Want to hear another one?“ Harry smirks and barks a laugh when Louis abruptly raises his hand, his palm facing Harry in a stop sign „Oh no. Don’t! This is enough confusion for one day.“  
After a moment Louis tags on „You know. This would have been perfect for a 3 lies, one truth game.“  
„It still is.“  
„True“ Louis tilts his head and grins „Just that I have the advantage of knowing the answer.“ he waggles his eyebrow at Harry.  
Harry snickers and nods, thinking of playing a game of 3 lies and 1 truth with Louis. What kind of things he would learn about him there. Louis glinting eyes focus on his again. „How do you know that kind of stuff?“  
„I like to read up on what I saw on my travels. And seeing as I spend a lot of time in cars, trains or planes, I also have a lot of time to read up on random things.“  
„Mhhh. So you are saying you did not every time sit in your terminal, starring into the abyss?“ he emphasizes the ‚every time‘.  
Harry leans his head to the side. He has the feeling Louis is alluding to something but can’t put his finger on it.  
„I can see your gears turning.“ Louis chuckles and reaches for a lemon curd tart while Harry takes a sip of the tea.  
It’s really good.  
He likes how Louis makes his tea.  
Harry takes another sip and suddenly remembers what Louis is alluding to. It is a scene that Zayn had insisted on putting into a video. They had been stranded on an airport for nearly a whole day due to heavy weather conditions with also no way out by car or train due to everything around being flooded by pounding rains. Harry had been bored out of his mind, dozing on and off, Zayn had been playing with the camera and asked him what he was staring at. Harry had grumbled „Into the abyss.“ and then send a death glare to Zayn.  
He looks at Louis. That happened late in the first year.  
Louis is watching his old videos?  
Why is he watching his old videos?  
„Why are you watching my old videos?“ Harry whines.  
Louis just grins at him broadly with that mischievous glint in his eyes.  
„You are not watching all of the old ones, right?“  
„Define old ones?“ Louis chuckles.  
„Pretty much everything from 2014-2015.“  
„Uhm well.“ Louis makes a show of rubbing his chin in thought.  
„No, you can’t!“ Harry insists.  
Louis laughs „Sorry Curly, but I think I’m nearly done with those.“  
Harry’s eyes bug out. „You… what? Wait, how? Those must have been …“ he tries to calculate the number of hours for those videos but fails miserably.  
“I’m a wizard, Harry.” Louis tries to make his voice as deep as Hagrid’s but pretty much fails at it.  
Harry, still trying to come up with a number that is not too far off from reality, stops short, his eyes bug out again. „Excuse me?“ he squeaks and bursts into a belly laugh. Louis tries to stay serious and impersonate Hagrid, chin tugged back and looking down at Harry when they are actually eye level. It doesn’t take long for him to also crack and start laughing.  
It might have to do with Harry’s laugh being just too obnoxious to ignore.  
It might also have to do with seeing Harry laughing until his eyes are wet with tears.  
It might also have to do with that exhilarating feeling he gets whenever he makes Harry laugh.

Friday, 10th of April

It’s 1 p.m.  
Louis is sitting in his chair, bare feet resting against the rail, and soaks up the sun.  
He made the executive decision to go for shorts and a t-shirt today.  
It’s 23°C, the sun is shining from a nearly cloudless sky. The trees sway with a wind that doesn’t reach the balcony. Louis is happy.  
He can feel the sun rays licking at his skin, turning it golden brown.  
The laptop is humming softly beside him on his newly acquired side table. It’s a quadrangular rattan glass thing with two tiers that had greeted him when he came outside late this morning.  
It’s old.  
The varnish is cracked and peeled off in most places.  
The textured glass is stained with what looks like the remains of kids window color.  
And it’s not quite steady but securely leaning in the corner between the balcony partition and the house wall, beside the door inside.  
Harry hasn’t come out yet. He wants him to come out so he can thank him. And tell him her name.  
What happens instead is, he hears a loud crash of something breaking.  
At first, there is silence, followed by a string of „NOOOOO! Fuck! Shit!…No! WHY? Damn it. Motherfucking— no. Stupid. Clumsy… Shit! ARGH!“  
With every loud curse, Louis' eyes go wider. He is staring at the half-open door to Harry’s flat.  
When it’s silent for a few moments Louis leans forward and calls „Harry? Are you ok?“  
„Yeah. No. Shit damnit!“  
Louis blinks and stands up. He can’t see inside.  
„ARGH. Why now?!?“  
„Well I guess he is ok when he can curse like that.“ Louis deadpans. Just then he hears heavy footfall coming towards him. The door is being jolted open and out comes a very red Harry. He stops dead after one step outside and turns toward Louis. Hands fisted by his side, his clothes splattered with greyish stuff  
Louis stares at him with big eyes. „Are you ok?“ he asks tentatively and Harry's raged face crumples. His eyes fill with tears, he draws the eyebrows together and his lips start to pout „That was my only starter.“ he points inside.  
Louis has no idea what that means but before he can ask, Harry starts talking. Babbling really, he talks so fast Louis has problems adjusting to the sudden change of speed.  
„I need the starter to make sourdough and I need it because this week its part 4 of the Great British Bread Off and I wanted to do a multigrain sourdough bread but for that I need the starter because that’s how sourdough works and this morning before I went shopping I thought maybe I should buy some more flour in case something happens with the bread but I decided against it because the shop ran really low on good flour but now the starter is splattered all over my kitchen instead of helping me make sourdough and I don’t have enough flour to get another starter going AND make the bread I was planning to make so now I have to clean the kitchen from sticky freaking starter and have to go shopping again because I freaking need flour for this and that messes up my whole time plan because I wanted to start early with the baking and filming so I don’t have to cram the cutting into Sunday morning.“ he takes a deep breath „I wanted Sunday to be chill.“ he whines.  
Louis blinks.  
And tries to wrangle through all the information that just got dumped on him.  
Harry is back to clenching his fists.  
He also sniffles and there are angry tears coursing down his cheeks. He doesn’t move to wipe at them.  
„You need flour?“ Louis asks tentatively.  
Harry nods once.  
„What kind of flour?“  
„Rye and wheat.“ he rasps.  
„Ok give me a moment.“ Louis raises his finger in a wait gesture and goes inside.  
Snatches the step from behind the kitchen door and goes for the baking wall cupboard. He never uses that one. Oli is the baker and sometimes Hope too if she was in the mood.  
The left side of the cupboard is lined with packets of flour. They are all with different designs but Louis doesn’t want to waste time by deciphering them, so he grabs them all and walks back out to Harry, who is now crouching down, arms wrapped around his knees, head resting on his knees.  
„Any of those useful?“ Louis asks.  
Harry’s head snaps up, he looks guilty for inexplicable reasons, but then his eyes light up.  
„You’ve got flour!“ he croak-squeaks and Louis gives him a crooked grin.  
„I know I give off the vibes of an incompetent cook, which is 100% the truth, but there are people in my life that can cook and regularly used this kitchen.“ He indicates behind himself with his head. „Now do you want the flour or not?“ he teases. Harry is up and in front of him in seconds taking the flour packets rather delicately. His hands are shaking. He steps back while reading the labels. „Rye, yes! And even spelled flour, wow.“  
„Does that help you?“  
Harry looks up and directly into his eyes. „So much!“ his voice starts to quiver „Thank you so much.“ tears start streaming down his face again. He places the packs on the windowsill beside him and starts wiping at his eyes. „I don’t even know why I am so emotional about this.“ he mumbles and looks at Louis apologetically. His hands are still shaking and Louis has the overwhelming need to hug him.  
„Do you want a hug?“  
Harry’s eyes go round and start to fill with tears again. „Yes please?“  
Louis raises his arms slowly and finds himself with his arms full of shaking Harry.  
He expects to be crushed, seeing as Harry is quite a bit taller than him but instead finds Harry curling around him. One arm over his shoulder, one around his mid and gently encompassing him, head barely resting on Louis' shoulder.  
„Come on.“ Louis grumbles and pulls Harry tight into the hug.  
Harry groans and tightens his hold too.  
Louis is softly stroking his back and slowly the shaking ceases.  
Harry sniffs loudly, making Louis jump, and chuckles „Sorry.“  
„No worries.“ Louis tightens his grip again. The rail is digging into his stomach but he doesn’t care. Harry’s breathing evens out and it starts to feel … soothing? The big chest expanding makes Louis want to crawl inside.  
He blinks his eyes open and stares at a small piece of sky between two houses.  
Then pats Harry’s back softly, three times, and breaks the hug off.  
Harry takes a step back, looking at his rings and fiddling with them. „Thank you.“  
„You are welcome.“ Louis mumbles, looking at the railing that was just squished between them.  
„I will“ Harry sways his arm towards the door „I will go back inside and“ he takes a step back „and clean the …“ he clears his throat „yeah.“  
„Yeah that’s probably a good idea.“ Louis chuckles and fixes his stare on one of the big spots on Harry’s right leg. „And also maybe yourself too.“ he adds.  
Harry looks down at himself. „Good idea. I don’t want to turn all crust-y.“  
He giggles and Louis groans at the bad pun.  
„Go bake your bread, baker boy.“  
Harry is still giggling when he enters the flat.

Louis stands there, hands resting on the railing, eyes on the door that is now ajar. His heart is beating as if he just ran up the stairs. His stomach feels like a knotted worm, all wiggly and stuck. After a few minutes, he turns to his laptop. Maybe he could do a bit of work. He reaches towards the table and sighs. „Couldn’t even thank him.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the little cliff hanger  
> I promise there will be an explanation for the explosion in the next chapter
> 
> Again thank you for reading  
> I hope you enjoyed this one  
> Please feel free to leave a comment if you want to


	9. Easter Weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's easter.  
> Nobody wishes anyone a happy easter.  
> Harry is still working through his breakdown.  
> The game round turns a bit dirtier than expected.  
> There is an unexpected visitor. Again.

Saturday, 11th of April

„Saturday.“ Louis groans while walking outside.  
He checks to his right but Harry is not outside.  
Louis hasn’t seen him since yesterday. Since Harry and him… He stops that thought, rubs his hands hard over his face and groans again.  
Harry chooses that moment to open the balcony door and step outside. He looks at Louis for a second and averts his eyes fast. Fixing them on his hands that are playing with the hem of his muted olive green jumper.  
„Good morning, Harry.“ Louis greets.  
„Good morning, Louis.“ Harry stretches with a groan, the jumper riding up on his stomach, revealing parts of leafy ink.  
„Are you better today?“  
„Yes. I am.“ Harry mumbles. „Sorry for putting that on you and also for vanishing on you. Uhmm… did you eat ok yesterday?“  
„I… wait, what?“  
That’s what Harry is worried about?  
„You know that’s not on you, right?“  
Harry grumbles „But I kinda promised.“  
„I am not your responsibility.“  
Harry scowls at his toes that are curled in.  
„I can practically feel you wanting to argue.“ Louis chuckles. „Harry I know we made a deal and I really appreciate you looking out for me. It is still not your responsibility. It is mine.“  
Harry grumbles and nods.  
„Now would it be possible to get you to look at me or are you going to hide for the whole day because you are ashamed of yesterday?“  
Harry's eyes fly up at Louis's face but he reverts them fast. „I was out of line.“ he grumbles finally.  
„For blowing off some steam? Isn’t that what we said we’d help each other with?“  
Harry scowls „I am pretty sure we only agreed to talk with each other in person to avoid going crazy.“  
„And you went crazy and I helped you get down from it. It’s part of the deal.“ Louis states matter of factly.  
„That’s not what we said.“  
„That’s what I decided!“  
Harry looks at him.  
Opening and closing his mouth in search of something to say.  
Also forgetting to avert his eyes.  
„Well, hello there.“ Louis smiles at him, his eyes sparkling. „How did the cleaning go? And could you make a new starter?“  
„I uhm— Yes and the cleaning took ages. There are still spots all over the kitchen.“  
„Oh. What a shame.“  
Harry shrugs.  
„And when can you start with the bread?“  
„I already started. It’s rising right now.“  
„Oh, nice. I am glad.“ Louis smiles softly.  
Harry hums in agreement and straightens with a big breath. „Need to go back inside now.“ he announces with a hand waving in the direction of his door, turns and leaves.  
Louis looks after him with a half-smile. „Man, he is stubborn.“

Louis decides to set up camp outside again. Working on the laptop for long stretches of time is a bit of a battery problem though. The thing is old and only manages 4 hours tops, but Louis sees that as his unconventional alarm clock to take a rest whenever the laptop needs to be charged. To get some food or just move around a bit.  
Harry does come outside twice, retreating back inside quickly each time when he sees Louis.  
Louis hears him come back outside for the third time when he is about to do some laundry. He wants to go greet him but decides against it „Let him have a few minutes of sun.“ he mumbles while picking socks and a towel from the couch.

When he steps outside half an hour later, having done laundry and eaten some cocoa pops, Harry is laying in his rainbow chair. Eyes closed, arms hanging off on the sides and his bare feet resting on the stool.  
He groans softly when he hears Louis pushing his chair into a better spot and then sighs.  
„I’m“  
„If you say sorry one more time I swear I will climb this stupid partition, straddle your lap and tickle you to death, Styles!“ Louis grouses, staying crouched instead of sitting down just in case Harry dares to say the word.  
Harry opens his eyes, squints at him for a minute, then snaps his mouth shut.  
Louis lowers himself into the chair. Eyes not leaving Harry’s.  
„Am I allowed to talk about it?“ Harry grouses back the moment Louis leans back.  
„Of course. You don’t need to though.“ he says carefully, not sure how to tread the waters right now.  
„I am not usually someone to explode like that.“ Harry starts without acknowledging Louis's words. „I don’t get angry easily.“  
Louis nods. That’s what he thought already. Harry is so sweet and relaxed all of the time.  
„I’m not even sure why I got so unreasonably angry.“ he sits up, places his feet on the ground and his elbows on his knees.  
„Not?“ Louis asks surprised.  
Harry furrows his brows. „Should I?“ he asks, dragging the words out and up.  
„I mean there are plenty of reasons already in your non-personal life.“  
Harry simply scrunches his face into a question and tilts his head a tiny bit.  
„Covid.“ Louis states matter of factly and Harry’s mouth shapes into an o.  
„All the stress of having to keep a distance to people, seeing others not heeding the warnings, people dying because hospitals are overwhelmed, the government taking not enough steps. You would be a heartless monster if that wouldn’t affect you.“  
Harry nods slowly. He had completely forgotten that. Not Covid in itself, forgetting that is impossible, but that it actually has an effect on him too. And Louis is right. All these things weigh down on him. It’s a huge weight and there is no end in sight. He is doing what he can to help but it doesn’t seem enough. „I am trying to ease that load with the Instagram lives I am doing.“ he starts to talk silently, fiddling with his rings. „Connect people and give them a place to rant and also think of something positive. But it feels like nothing.“  
„It is a lot, Harry.“  
Harry looks at him, his mouth a thin line.  
„And you should not forget that for you it’s also hard because you are suddenly forced to stay inside. After years of being outside and out and about every day. I can only imagine how that must feel like a prison.“  
Harry’s mouth falls open. Louis is correct. It does feel constricting. How hadn’t he seen that before?  
„You look very surprised.“  
„I am. How did I not notice?“  
„I didn’t either. Needed to read a column about mental health in these times to actually understand what a huge toll this is taking on everyone. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Harry.“  
Harry looks at him for a long time. Green penetrating eyes fixed on him, seemingly reading his innermost feelings. Louis starts to squirm and wishes he had brought something to drink with him. His mouth feels very dry suddenly.  
„Thank you.“ Harry finally says. His voice soft but strong. It feels as if he announced a new rule for the world to follow. To much weight in his words for such a simple sentence.  
Louis starts to pinch at the seam of his t-shirt „It’s ok to be overwhelmed.“ he mumbles and looks around. Still feeling Harry’s eyes on himself. His eyes land on the table and he breaks out in a smile. „Anygay. Thank you for the table.“  
„Oh.“ Harry sits up straighter „I saw it beside a house with a „take me“ sign attached to it when I came back from shopping and thought about what you said. About needing a side table.“ he explains animately.  
„Wait. You carried that table AND your groceries?“  
Harry chuckles „No. I went back and it was still there. So I took it.“  
Louis gapes at him. He saw the table, went home to put his groceries away and went back to get the table. „Thank you.“ Louis says softly, then tags on cheerfully „I named her Lilith.“  
„You… what?“  
Louis just grins in answer.  
„Why would you name a table after a demon?“ Harry sounds a bit desperate.  
„I named the table after the first woman!“ Louis corrects. „Because she is ancient but beautiful and strong and too stubborn to give up.“ he pushes his jaw forward and nods reinforcingly.  
Harry’s mouth falls open.  
Louis named the table.  
Harry doesn’t know if he should laugh or hug him.  
He closes his mouth slowly. „You like the table.“ he says carefully. Not wanting to assume but doing it anyway.  
„I love it!“ Louis smiles at him.  
Harry smiles back.  
Louis blinks and somehow his smile grows. He didn’t know that was possible. Harry smiling makes him so happy and the longer they sit there smiling at each other the more Louis feels a longing build in his chest. A longing to reach out his hands and pull him close.  
Louis wants to hug him again.  
Feel that warm body against his. Only this time without the desperation and shaking from nerves.  
„Thank you for the hug yesterday.“ Harry breaks the silence and it seems his mind went in the same direction as Louis. „It helped a lot in calming me down.“  
„That’s why I did it.“ Louis says softly.  
„I am not used to not getting any cuddles.“ Harry mumbles, concentrating on his rings again.  
„It’s quite hard without cuddles, isn’t it?“  
„Yes.“ Harry looks up, his eyebrows drawn together in a puppy dog expression „So thank you for that.“  
„You are welcome, Curly.“ Louis says and thinks that it was just as much for himself as it was for Harry.

Sunday, 12th of April

When H wakes up his brain goes into carousel mode instantly.  
He thinks of the scenes he shot yesterday, how he will cut them. How the episode will feel when it’s done. Calculates the time he will need to finish it in time.  
He thinks about his balcony coming along nicely, even if not much has been delivered yet. Calculates, again, when everything will be delivered and in what order he will have to do the things.  
He thinks of Louis Tomlinson.  
His blue eyes and soft fringe.  
How he was so accepting of Harry’s outburst.  
Louis pulling him in tighter for the much-needed hug.  
His fingers softly rubbing circles into Harry’s neck.  
Harry shivers.  
He jolts himself out of bed.  
The blanket following him halfway through the room.

The run helps to calm him down a bit. The route he takes by now so familiar that he doesn’t even watch his footfall and drifts into a dreamlike headspace.  
He stops calculating.  
Stops worrying.  
Breathes and lets the air calm his nerves.  
He is still a bit anxious about his outburst. But even with that Louis helped. Understanding and being told that it is completely normal to find the situation overwhelming was something that Harry had needed. He’d had so much understanding and sympathy for everyone else that he forgot himself. He is a bit ashamed about that.  
When he told his mum on their call yesterday she had chided him and told him to listen to what Louis was saying. She also had asked if Louis was also the type to go inside his head and forget his own well being, like Harry.  
„No, I think he goes inside his heart rather than his head way too much and forgets himself.“ Harry had answered after a minute of contemplating. „Then you should repay him by reminding him of his wellbeing just like he did with you.“ she had said and made Harry smile. In a way, Harry already does that by cooking for Louis. Even though Louis was very adamant about it not being Harry’s responsibility, Harry wants it to be his responsibility. He would also prefer it if Louis got involved in it a bit more. For now, he is still insisting on getting Harry’s freezer empty but Harry will make him choose food that he likes and that probably sooner rather than later.  
That will surely get a bit trickier than he’d like it to be but he is very much up for the challenge.

Harry’s morning goes just as planned, he meets up in a video call with Liam at 8 a.m. to start cutting the episode but for some reason, they get caught up in talking about Harry’s mum, that on some days even calls twice now, which is not that surprising for Harry, and about Liam’s mum. Who is now learning how to use the internet for her work and has not been laid off because of that so the mood in the Payne home is a lot better than a few weeks ago. Harry also ends up telling Liam about his outburst on the other day. Liam listens intently and gives a slow nod in the end. He doesn’t say much. Just that he is happy that Harry has someone to catch him.  
They end up finishing up late. The episode was supposed to be up by 12 but they only finish it and start the upload at 1 p.m.  
„Well, that didn’t go quite as planned“ Harry grumbles.  
„That’s ok.“ Liam assures him. „People will understand, especially when we tell them the reason.“  
Harry nods and chews on his lip.  
„Harry how about you do something to calm yourself down? You have been very distracted today.“  
Harry gnaws on his lip and follows the flight route of a bird through his window and balcony door with his eyes.  
„It’s just that Louis is gonna add me to this Zoom play-round with his friends today and it has me nervous. On top of this week just being a pit of nervousness.“ he sighs and looks back at the screen.  
Liam nods and looks at him with his head tilted to the side.  
Harry sighs deeply. „Aahhhh. Yeah I will go relax a bit and then see what happens.“  
„That is a good idea, H. Go relax and then have fun and send my regards to your new friends.“  
Harry rolls his eyes and snickers. New friends. He hadn’t even thought of that. He says his goodby to Liam, closes the laptop and walks into his bedroom.  
All the while thinking of Louis's friends. If they are friends with Louis they very likely are fun to be around and, and that’s the best about this, they will surely give him some little tidbits about Louis.

Harry contemplates to go outside and chat and eat with Louis but he still feels weird about his outbreak, even though Louis helped him understand it doesn’t mean he stops feeling shit about it.  
He decides to do a vigorous workout.  
Chooses a workout playlist from Spotify that dips right into the current chart situation and starts off with Dua Lipa „Physical“.  
„How fitting“ he mumbles.  
He starts off with stretches to warm up, follows up with 15 sets of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and tricep dips on the only normal chair he has until the sweat is running down his back, drenching his t-shirt, and his muscles are screaming from the exertion.  
He stumbles into the bath to take a hot shower. When he emerges he feels slightly rubbery, his muscles shaky from the exertion and heat but his mind has cleared and he looks forward to the game round.  
He makes himself a salad and cheese toast, steps on the balcony to ask Louis if he wants one too but he is nowhere to be seen. Harry hears the vacuum going through Louis ajar door and nods with a pout. Their timing is way off today.

Louis opens Zoom to Lottie and Niall already being on.  
„Congrats to finally figuring out how to set up a recurring meeting“ she greets him and Niall laughs. „You are finally joining us young folks in the digital era.“ he tags on.  
„I see. You two are in a feisty mood.“ Louis deadpans and leaves to make himself a fresh cup of tea. He hasn’t seen Harry today, heard him through the ajar window talking to someone about how to cut a scene though. He assumes the person he heard was Liam and they were working on the episode that should be up by now. And later on, he heard a mix of upbeat songs that don’t quite line up with what he usually hears from Harry.  
He feels jittery. Not quite sure why the thought of adding Harry to the Zoom call has him tapping his fingers restlessly against the counter while the water comes to a boil. He even did some chores to put his nervous energy to use.  
When he comes back Luke, Hope, and Oli and Clara have joined too.  
„Good day my dears.“ he greets them when he sits down „Are we still all in agreement to let Harry join this today?“  
„Of course.“ five people say in unison.  
„You won't get to keep him for yourself Lewis.“ Luke teases. „Now add him!“  
„Before that, I have to set up two rules.“  
„Oh?“ Niall snickers.  
„First:“ Louis holds up his index finger „If any of you embarrasses me, I will kick you from the room.“  
„Oh!“ Lottie, Oli and Clara giggle.  
Hope scowls and starts crossing out things on a paper in front of her.  
„Does that also apply if I do it by mistake?“ Lottie asks.  
„That depends on how embarrassing it is.“ Louis states and raises his middle finger „Second rule: Please be nice to him. He’s had a hard week. So no attacking or drilling him please.“ Louis says softly.  
Everyone is silent.  
They just blink at him for a minute.  
„Of course.“ Oli finally breaks the silence and everyone nods vigorously.  
„Ok.“ Louis nods. „That being said. Niall?“  
„Yes, sir.“  
„He has no clue that you are here. Please enjoy a very flustered Harry.“ Louis sends the invitation link to Harry.  
„Wait what? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have planned something.“ Niall rambles with wide eyes looking around him in search of who knows what when a new window pops up.  
„How am I opening the camera.“ Harry’s deep, slow voice is heard just before the camera engages „Oh, there we are.“ Harry says, looking around at the other windows.  
A second later he freezes.  
Eyes wide.  
His mouth slowly opening until it’s as wide as his eyes.  
A squeaking sound escapes him.  
Louis starts giggling. „Hy Harold.“ he says.  
„Louis!“ Harry squeaks, his eyes flickering to Louis’ chat window „Is that?“  
Louis's eyes flicker to Niall, expecting him to burst out laughing any second now, but Niall is slack-jawed just like Harry.  
„Whut? Ni?“  
Niall blinks. Then looks to Louis’ chat window „Tommo couldn’t you have told me that this is The Harry from the Bananas channel?“

Harry thinks he has stopped breathing.  
Is that a thing that can actually happen?  
Because Harry is doing it right now.  
Or rather not doing it.  
His heart is racing and his brain feels like it has left for a vacation. Probably to the Bahamas.

Ten minutes ago Harry waited for Louis’ email with the invitation link and tried to not think too much of meeting Louis's friends for the first time. And now he is sitting here staring at Niall freaking Horan who seems to know him?  
Like what?  
How did that happen? Why the all living hell does Niall Horan know of the existence of Harry Styles?  
Harry takes a deep breath.  
Oh.  
Seems like the not breathing was actually a thing.  
His head stops swimming and he sees a bit clearer.  
„Excuse me?“ Harry squeaks rather undignified.  
He doesn’t care.  
„Louis?“  
Louis looks rather perplexed too but he recovers the fastest.

He laughs.  
An all-out laugh.  
Crinkles in the corners of his eyes and all.  
Everyone looks perplexed from one to the other.  
Louis snickers a last time „Well that was unexpected. Everyone, meet Harry Styles. Youtuber and frontman of the EnFood and U R Bananas channel.“ He tries to do a presentation gesture.  
„Harry are you with us again?“  
„Give me a moment.“ Harry raises a hand. „That was a bit much.“ he takes a deep breath. „Ok, go ahead.“ he says and tags on after a moment. „I would like an explanation as to how exactly Niall Horan knows who I am though.“  
All of them giggle.  
„Ok my dears, can you introduce yourself? I am too lazy to do that by myself.“ Louis leans back with his lips pursed, fixing his fringe and Niall laughs.

The first to speak is the redhead in the top right corner. He has big ears and a nice smile and a woman with a strawberry blond bob-cut sitting beside him. „Hy Harry. I am Olli, childhood best friend and usually flatmate of the guy you got as your neighbour.“  
„Hy Olli.“ Harry smiles at him and raises his hand in a greeting. „So technically we are neighbours.“  
„Technically yes. But I decided to quarantine with my girlfriend here.“  
„Hy there. I am Clara.“ she says and waves at Harry with a broad smile.  
„Hello, Clara. Nice to meet you.“ Harry greets and smiles back.  
„I am Lottie.“ The blond woman, mid-row left says with a soft voice. She looks very fashionable. Makeup on point, very blond hair. Harry can see the resemblance to her brother anyway. „Hello, Lottie. Nice to put a face to the name now.“  
Her eyes pop open „Are you telling me that Louis talked about me?“.  
Harry’s eyes fly to Louis „He might have mentioned you once or twice, yes.“ he giggles.  
„Harold!“ Louis whines. „You were not supposed to tell her. I don’t talk about her because I can’t stand her!“  
„Sure you do.“ Lottie and Harry say sarcastically in unison.  
They stop for a second and then laugh.  
„This is where I would give you a high five.“ Lottie giggles  
„Maybe better a fist bump? If I raise my arm you’d have to jump.“ Harry drawls his mouth in a very slight up-tilt. Lottie’s mouth falls open and Niall bursts out laughing „No you didn’t!“

The guys join in on the laugh, shortly after that Lottie starts to laugh too.  
Louis still chuckles softly. His eyes are fixed on Harry who seems calm and relaxed. His smile genuine and engaging and his current grin very cheeky.  
„Cheeky. That’s what you are.“ Louis throws in and Harry beams at him. He nods and lowers his eyes. Ruffles through his hair and swoops it back to the side before looking back up just when Niall starts to speak.

„Yeah, so I am Niall. I’m a musician. You might have heard of me. And I am a huge food enthusiast.“ Niall is grinning at him and gives him a thumbs up.  
„I-“ Harry is at a loss for words and looks over to Louis who just sits there grinning like the cat that got the cream. „Hy Niall.“ Harry clears his throat. „Nice to mee... Uhm- err…hi!“ his voice jumps up an octave. He snaps his mouth shut.  
Niall snorts „Nice safe mate. I appreciate it.“  
Everyone chuckles.  
The guy in the middle of the top row waves his hand. Harry already saw that he is rather handsome. Dark hair, dark eyes, square jaw, a bit of stubble.  
„Luke.“ he says with a quirk to his lips. „Also childhood friend.“  
„Hello Luke.“ Harry smiles and scans over the screen if anyone is still missing. His eyes zero in on the woman in the middle of the middle row, who’s head is lowered. Harry mostly sees her very dark brown hair. Louis clears his throat loudly. „Hope?“  
„Oh right.“ she rasps and raises her head. „Hy Harry. I am Hope. Or Hen if you want. I’m sound-engineer and I work with these idiots.“ her voice is raspy and deep and she has a slight sneer to her features.  
„Which idiots?“ Harry asks just when Niall and Louis protest with a loud „Oi!“  
„Those two.“ she deadpans.  
Harry barks out a laugh but stops abruptly „Wait, what?“ his eyes fly to Louis who looks around on his desk instead of to the screen or camera and clears his throat loudly.  
„With that being said. I think we can start the game now.“  
Niall, Hope and Lottie look to Harry and Louis alternately. Lottie snorting a laugh.  
Harry is confused, opens his mouth to say something when Louis starts again.  
„I thought for today we could play a round of spot the lie.“  
Niall groans and Lottie yays.  
„But to make it a bit interesting we are going to use a dice to determine how many facts you have to give.“  
„Wait but we are not going to use the d20, right?“ Luke asks, his eyes wide.  
„Of course not.“ Louis laughs. „I’d say we go for a d6 or d5.“  
„D what?“ Harry asks confusedly.  
„D stands for dice and the number for how many sides the dice has. D6 is the regular dice that gets used the most.“ Hope explains.  
„Oh ok, thanks.“ Harry says and pinches his bottom lip. „How about a d3 then?“ He suggests with a sly grin. He is already distracted from his thought of asking Louis about the working with Niall.  
„Nah.“ Hope negates. „We don’t want it too easy.“  
„Then let’s go for a d5.“ Lottie answers.  
„All in favour of a d5?“ Louis asks and everyone raises their hands, Harry a bit slower than the others, looking back and forth between all of them.  
„I’m gonna be the game master again and counting the points. Everyone has a piece of paper and a pen ready?“  
„Uhhh— I don’t.“ Harry raises his hand back up from its position halfway down.  
„Do you have any paper and pencils?“ Louis grins.  
„I might? Give me a moment.“ He stands up and walks out of frame leaving the camera to show a pale sand-coloured sofa with flowery pillows and a bit of window that looks out to a tree. The same tree that Louis can see when he turns left and looks outside.  
„Harold, can I explain the point system while you dive into your deepest closet?“ Louis calls.  
Harry calls back audibly from another part of the room „Yeah that’s ok, I can hear you.“  
Louis can also hear him. From the computer speaker and from the wall that separates their flats.  
„Ok so everyone will roll a dice to determine how many facts they have to give. Whoever identifies the lie will get as many points as there were correct facts. Meaning if you roll a 5, you have 4 truths and everyone that guesses the lie correctly gets 4 points. So far alright?“  
There is a round of yes’s and nods and Harry comes back into view with paper and a pen.  
„Understood.“ he rumbles, sits down and leans forward, pretty close to the camera, his eyes narrowing but mouth in a cheeky grin. „Just for the record, Louis. I haven’t been in a closet for a while now and don’t intend to go back in there just for a piece of paper.“  
Louis stares at him dumbly, eyes fixed on the dimple that goes deeper by the spreading grin.  
Lottie’s very heartfelt „Shit!“ breaks Louis out of his reverie and into a laugh.  
Luke is grinning very wide and does a little shimmy with fingers snipping and Harry giggles.  
„Ok back to the game.“ Louis shakes his head to clear it. „You are going to write your answers on paper and hold it up when I say so. This way nobody can type in a new answer sneakily.“  
Harry nods.  
„Harold we have a bot here in the chat that will virtually roll the dice. You just have to type /rollnow d5“  
Harry furrows his brows and starts typing.  
When he hits enter his text appears followed by a „d5 = 5“  
„Neat.“ Harry exclaims.  
„Well, I would say Harry just started the first round.“ Clara says with a giggle. Harry’s eyes fly up and his mouth pops open.  
„Looks like it.“ Louis grins „Go on Harry. 5 Facts about you, one needs to be a lie.“  
Harry snaps his mouth shut „Only one lie though.“ Louis states with his pointer finger raised and Hope nods. „Yes please.“  
„Ok, give me a moment. I was not expecting to be the first.“ His voice drifts off while he makes some notes. He is chewing on his lips.  
„Should we help you choose?“ Luke asks with a broad grin.  
Harry looks up through the hair falling over his face „I’ll manage.“ he grins and sticks his tongue out.  
Lottie groans and rolls her eyes.  
„Okey.“ Harry drags the word out when he is done. „Everyone ready?“ he asks and looks into the round.  
They nod, only Luke saying „Ready as can be.“  
„Here goes:  
1\. I have eaten crocodile  
2\. I was nicked in the leg by said crocodile  
3\. I have never eaten crickets  
4\. I have hunted sharks  
5\. I agreed on eating the Carolina Reaper“  
„Whoa. You are going in there.“ Oli exclaims.  
„This is off to a good start.“ Luke laughs.  
Louis agrees. Those are some nice facts for a game of spot the lie.  
„Wait what was the third one?„ Lottie asks.  
„Never eaten crickets.“ Harry repeats after checking his notes.  
„The crickets are pretty much the tamest on the list.“ Hope snickers. „I don’t think we ever had someone so daring. We are all gonna look like boring grandma’s compared to you.“  
Harry snorts.  
„Harry.“ Luke says.  
„Yes.“ Harry sits up a bit straighter and Luke leans forward „Do you like it hot?“  
Harry starts grinning and shrugs „That depends.“ he drawls and licks his lips.  
Louis eyes flicker between Harry and Luke, who seems a bit flustered, but covers it up with a smirk and nod, and notes something down.  
„Times up!“ Louis announces a bit too early. „Please everyone raise your answer.“  
Five windows go mostly white.  
One reads Crocodile bite.  
Two read shark.  
And two read Carolina Reaper.  
„Harold which is it?“  
„I’ve never hunted sharks.“ Harry says with his lips set.  
„Yes!“ Lottie exclaims and fist-pumps „Four points for Lottie!“ she cheers „And four for Niall“ Niall grins.  
„Four points for Lottie and Niall.“ Louis repeats and notes it down.  
„Congratulations, love.“ Harry says and Lottie giggles.  
„Wait but that means you actually ate a Carolina Reaper.“ Hope exclaims just when Louis says „You got bit by a crocodile?“  
Harry looks between them for a moment. „It was just a tiny nick, Louis. Like a scratch from a tree branch.“  
„Oh ok.“ Louis says dumbly.  
Just a scratch.  
Nothing bad.  
Good.  
„And about the Carolina Reaper that was just me being dumb and needing a bit of money.“  
„Money?“ Niall leans forward staples his fingers and rests his chin in them. „Pray tell?“  
„We were a bit short on money and someone bet us some money that we wouldn’t dare eat the chili. I did eat it. We got the money and I couldn’t taste anything for a week.“  
„Did it hurt?“ Lottie asks.  
„Yes. A lot. I felt as if my mouth was dissolving from the heat. Really not nice and one of the dumbest things I ever did.“ Harry chuckles.  
Louis feels the need to throttle him.  
Instead, he looks around and decides that it’s time for the next person.  
„Lottie.“  
She jumps a bit „Yes.“  
„Please roll the dice, love.“  
„Oh, yes. Ok.“ While she types Louis looks to Harry, who has a soft smile on his lips.  
„d5=3“ says the bot.  
„Yay.“ Lottie grins. „Less work for me.“ she winks at Harry who cackles in reaction.  
„Ok, let's see.  
1\. I never had to cut a bob.  
2\. I once got a chemical burn on my hand.  
3\. Someone tipped me 500£ once.“  
„These are so tame in comparison.“ Clara snickers.  
„But still hard.“ Oli tags on.  
„Mhmhh.“ Niall hums in agreement.  
„Oh good.“ Harry chuckles „I am not the only one being clueless.“  
Louis grins.  
He knows the answer, but everyone else seems to struggle.  
„Lottie, are you a hairstylist?“ Harry asks while he writes something down.  
„Beautician.“ she answers.  
„Oh, nice. That’s why your nails are on point.“ he swoops his hair back and looks up.  
„Oh.“ Lottie turns a bit pinkish.  
Louis snickers and then makes a stern face.  
„Harold, stop flirting with my sister.“  
„What? I wasn’t flirting. I was just giving her a compliment. That does not qualify as flirting.“ Harry pouts.  
„True.“ Clara agrees.  
„Thank you for that, Harry.“ Lottie says with a bright smile.  
„You are welcome.“ Harry smiles.  
„Okey.“ Louis drags the word out. „Answers now please.“ he announces and five pieces of paper are being held into the cameras.  
Luke and Niall wrote chemical-burn, Clara and Oli choose the bob cut and Hope and Harry the 500£ tip.  
Louis starts smiling. „Lots, which is it?“  
„The 500£ tip. It was only 470£.“ she snickers.  
„Get in!“ Harry fist-pumps while Hope gives a satisfied nod.  
„Ohhhh.“ Luke sings. „How did that happen?“  
„It was a regular of mine.“ Lottie starts. „Filthy rich. Came in every other week and apparently her husband thinks we have an affair.“  
Louis watches Harry’s reaction and snickers when his eyes grow large.  
„This is getting juicy.“ Harry mumbles and leans forward with his chin in his hand.  
„He came in making a weird scene. To be honest it looked to me as if he wanted it to be true so he could watch us make out. In the end she tipped me heavily to make up for it.“  
„Do you have an affair with her though?“ Hope voices what everyone wants to know.  
„Nah. I don’t swing that way.“ Lottie snickers. „I wish I did. She is fit and would probably spoil me rotten.“  
„You’ve got your priorities right.“ Luke laughs.  
Louis coughs loudly, Harry instantly turns to him, grin still on his face. Luke sticks his tongue out to Louis.  
„Next one?“ Oli asks and everyone nods.  
„My turn then.“ Hope says and the chat pops up with a „d5=5“  
She nods and rattles off her list without a pause.  
„1. Niall is one of the cleanest musicians I have worked with  
2\. I never worked with Lewis Capaldi  
3\. I once set a console on fire  
4\. I have currently 13 active confidential clauses  
5\. Sting once invited me to dinner and I had to decline.“  
„Whoa.“ Louis laughs.  
„That was fast.“  
„By console, do you mean…?“ Niall trails off.  
„A mixing console, yes.“ Hope nods and Niall’s eyes go round „Oh shit.“  
„Aren’t those expensive?“ Oli asks.  
„Very much so, yes.“ Niall says with his eyes bugging out while Hope only gives a curt nod.  
„Okey.“ Clara draws the word out. „This is hard hard.“  
„It is.“ Niall agrees and furrows his brows.  
„I have to agree with that.“ Louis says. He has no clue which one it is. „Are you sure you didn’t mix it up and put four lies in there?“  
Hope snorts „Absolutely sure, yes.“  
„I guess I’m taking something random then.“ Harry mumbles and notes something down. When he looks back up he feels as if Louis is looking at him. It’s so hard to say. He winks and the small quirk appearing on Louis's lips confirms his suspicion.  
„Same.“ Luke says.  
Louis sees him make big eyes towards someone, he suspects Harry, but Harry keeps looking at him.  
Louis takes a sip of water to hide his smile.  
In the beginning, it was hard to understand where Harry was looking but by now Louis at least recognizes the line of sight when Harry is looking at him.  
Hope clears her throat and Louis does a little jump. Looks at the clock. Oh. Time for the answers.  
„Ladies and gentlemen.“  
„No! We can’t decide!“ Oli exclaims.  
„Get on with it!“ Louis demands, even though he was the one losing track of time not a minute ago.  
Clara snatches the pen from Oli and jots something down. „Ok.“ she says.  
Louis nods at her „Reveal your answers … now!“ he announces with his game master voice.  
Niall wrote Lewis, Clara wrote 13 clauses, Luke and Lottie took Sting and Harry took the console.  
„Which is the lie, Hope?“  
„Sting is the lie.“  
„What?!?“ Niall exclaims. „What do you mean you never worked with Lewis?“  
Lottie and Luke exclaim their Yes’s and do little winning dances.  
Hope cackles a laugh „We are buddies. But just because we hang a lot doesn’t mean we worked with each other. You of all people should know that best.“  
„True.“ Louis says „You hang with him so often that everyone expected a collab, but no.“ he rolls his eyes.  
„True.“ Harry agrees. „I was absolutely expecting you two to have written something together.“  
Niall’s mouth forms a big O. He gives a short nod of Ok I’ll give you that and then grins. „I am glad no one took the first one as a lie tho.“  
„Ok but how exactly does one set a mixing console on fire?“ Oli asks.  
„By plugging in some things wrong and causing an electrical fire which in turn ignites the wood casing of the console.“ Hope recounts relatively emotionless.  
„Outsch.“ Niall whispers.  
„Outsch indeed.“ she agrees.  
„How did you get out of this one?“ Louis asks.  
„I didn’t.“ Hope answers „Had to pay off a very low percentage of the damage done, bc the university had it insured. Otherwise, I would pay that shit off until I am 50.“  
„Uffz. Good for you.“ Lottie says.  
Luke raises his hand „I have a question about those clauses you mentioned.“  
„The confidential clauses?“  
„Yeah, those. What are they exactly?“ he grins.  
„Oh, uhm… they are parts of contracts that make sure that I don’t talk about stuff that needs to stay confidential.“  
Luke tilts his head and narrows his eyes in question.  
„She had one with me.“ Niall chimes in „to make sure that she doesn’t talk about the songs we wrote before they are released.“ Hope and Louis nod in agreement.  
„Eh but how does that work?“  
„It’s part of a contract that says that any acquired knowledge or specifically stated information between two parties is to be kept confidential. Either for the duration of the contract or sometimes a bit longer. And if you break it you will be fined.“ Harry explains and everyone looks at him, mouths open.  
„How do you know that?“ Louis is the first to break the silence.  
„I had to sign a few of those too. They are weird too be honest, but eh“ he shrugs.  
„Why do you have to sign confidential clauses?“ Niall asks, his eyebrows furrowed.  
„Mostly because I worked with some TV stations for commercials but also some celebrities.“  
„Excuse me?“ Louis squeaks.  
„Hehe.“ Harry giggles  
„There are commercials with you in them?“ Luke asks looking way to interested.  
„Yes, but they are for Indonesia so chances are small you’ll ever see them.“ he laughs.  
„And what celebrities are we talking about here?“ Louis inquires.  
„That’s one of the points I am not allowed to talk about Louis.“ Harry is still laughing softly.  
„Juicy.“ Hope exclaims and Oli chimes in „Juicy indeed.“ he waggles his eyebrows.  
„Now I kinda want to know what you have seen. Or maybe even done.“ Luke says with a big smirk on his face.  
„Too much.“ Harry says with a desperate tone and hides his face behind his hands in a dramatic gesture.  
Louis starts giggling even before Harry emerges with his eyes glinting and a huge grin on his face.  
They all laugh.  
„I guess it’s my turn now?“ Niall asks.  
„Yep.“ Louis confirms and Niall starts to type.  
The chat updates and shows a „d5 = 5“  
„What is it with the fives today?“ Niall laughs. „Let’s see  
„1. I don’t share food!“  
Louis, Hope and Clara laugh out at that. Louis stops himself by morphing it into a cough.  
„This sounded more like a warning, than anything else.“ Harry mumbles, his eyes big.  
Louis snorts again and bites his lips.  
He gets drowned out by Niall continuing his list.  
„2. I contemplated joining a boyband  
3\. I don’t have one best friend  
4\. I once met Beyonce on a gender-mixed toilet  
5\. I did not finish my studies!“  
„What do you mean with not having a best friend?“ Lottie asks as soon as he finishes.  
„Like having a group of people that are very close but not one person that tops everyone else.“ Niall explains.  
Harry is looking at him, kneading his bottom lip, then nods once and starts writing.  
„This one is way to easy.“ Luke snickers.  
„It is a bit yes. But interesting facts.“ Louis grins.  
It doesn’t take them long to write down their answers.  
„Ok?“ Louis asks to make sure and everyone confirms with nods and yes’s.  
„Then reveal your answers.“  
Five pieces of paper get raised in front of the cameras. Each of them reads a variation of not finished studies.  
Niall groans. „You all know me too well.“  
„Or you just suck at making up a lie.“ Louis deadpans.  
Niall scowls at him „Tommo.“  
„Leprechaun.“ Louis singsongs.  
Harry cackles.  
„4 Points for everyone!“ Clara exclaims cheerfully.  
„Ok but, mixed-gender toilet?“ Luke asks.  
„Hehe. Yeah, that one was confusing as fuck. I didn’t know about that, stepped out of the stall and suddenly the Queen B is standing in front of me. Nearly pissed my pants there.“  
„What a trauma.“ Louis snickers.  
„Yeah but imagine hooking up with a guy, going for the stalls just to find some woman powdering their noses.“ Luke shudders.  
Niall laughs „That’s your problem, not theirs.“  
„That was a bit stereotyping.“ Harry scowls.  
Louis looks at him and nods with a smile.  
„A bit yes.“ Lottie agrees and rolls her eyes. „We don’t always powder our noses, you know? Sometimes we actually need to pee.“ Her voice is dripping with annoyance.  
Luke looks a bit confused „Right. Sorry. That was indeed a bit heavy on the stereotype.“ he looks at his table for a bit.  
„Not to mention you enforcing the stereotype of the gay that fucks in the bathroom stalls.“ Louis rolls his eyes.  
Niall, Hope and Harry burst out laughing.  
„I mean.“ Luke shrugs.  
„If the glove fits?“ Harry grins.  
„Exactly that!“ Luke exclaims and smiles broadly at him, teeth and all.  
Louis looks between them and clears his throat. „Ok, enough stereotyping. Oli? Clara? Ready for your round?“  
Clara breaks out into a huge grin while Oli sinks a bit back into his chair. „We are ready, Louis.“ Clara confirms.  
„Are you sure?“ Niall asks on a laugh. „Oli looks as if he wants to vanish.“  
Oli grunts and waves him off and Clara nods with a slightly manic smile. „Ready as can be.“  
„Ok, well then let's hear it.“ Louis prompts.  
Clara rolls a 4.  
She crosses out one of the answers that they had written down, clears her throat and starts reading the rest.  
„1. Our first kiss was in a males toilet“  
„Ooooooh“ Luke makes a catcall whistle „Speaking about gender-mixed toilets“  
Clara rolls her eyes.  
„2. We first met in kindergarten  
3\. Louis once walked in on us having sex, didn’t notice and proceeded to watch the movie right beside us“  
„Eh?“ Louis exclaims but shuts his mouth quickly. Clara looks at him, her eyes glittering.  
„And 4. We once walked in on Louis going down on a guy“  
„EH!“ Louis squeals out, his hands covering his mouth too late. His eyes are round and flick to Harry who is looking back with a huge grin plastered on his face, his eyes dancing with amusement. Luke is cackling loudly, his body doubled over from laughter, Hope and Niall join in on the laughing, only Lottie staring with her eyes wide open, her face fast turning a shade of red. Oli seems to have shrunk a bit more.  
„Judging by Louis's reaction…“ Harry drawls and drifts off. He looks down at his desk while writing. The smirk on his face is visible nonetheless.  
Louis groans and hides his face in his hands.  
He did not expect Clara to attack him like that.  
He is also praying that the one about him walking in on them and not noticing turns out to be the lie.  
It turns out to not be the lie.  
Oli looks at the answers.  
„Hope and Harry are correct. We did not meet in kindergarten.“ he says while Clara giggles and Louis exclaims loudly „No! What? When did I walk in on you? Why didn’t you say anything?“  
He looks from one to the other while everyone else snickers.  
„In the first weeks of us dating.“ Oli explains. „And we tried to tell you.“ Clara tags on. She manages to smile and also shoot daggers at him.  
„Whut?“ Louis tries to remember but comes up blank.  
„Can we maybe get the whole story?“ Harry asks carefully with a lopsided grin.  
„Of course.“ Clara says „We had put on a rom-com. Really just so something was playing and for some noise coverage. We were under a blanket and just about to get on with it when Louis walked in with a cup of tea in his hand, sat down and started talking with us about the movie.“  
Louis groans again. His face is red now and his eyes huge while he listens.  
Harry feels like bursting from amusement and how adorable Louis looks when he is embarrassed.  
„Scared the shit out of me, to be honest.“ Oli carries on „You always walk so silently. It felt like you popped up out of nowhere. We tried to tell you that we were kind of busy but you were so far in your head that it just didn’t register.“  
Louis's eyes go impossibly bigger „I am so sorry. So so sorry!“  
„That’s quite alright.“ Clara appeases him with a wave of her hand „We got you back by bringing up the blow job incident.“ She grins at him and sticks her tongue out.  
Niall bursts out laughing while Louis looks at her with his mouth hanging open.  
„I guess we won't hear the story about that?“ Harry asks with a smile that looks far too innocent.  
Louis and Lottie exclaim a loud „No!“ in unison and Luke cackles again.  
Hope is silent but the quirk of her mouth looks as if she is surely amused by the happenings.  
„Anygay!“ Louis exclaims suddenly, making Lottie and Harry jump. „Luke. It’s your turn!“  
Luke stops cackling and after a moment starts grinning widely.  
He types and the bot gives him a d5=1.  
„Oh. Should I“  
„Throw again.“ Louis instructs.  
This time he throws a 2.  
Luke giggles „Perfect.“ His eyes flick to Louis and then to Harry.  
„1. I am better  
2\. Tommo is better“  
„Better in what?“ Niall asks confusedly.  
Louis narrows his eyes. Surely Luke does not imply that.  
„Well.“ Luke waggles his brows and licks his lips.  
Lottie and Louis groan, Harry stares at Luke with big eyes and then at Louis. He bites his lips and stares while Louis glares daggers at Luke.  
„Luke.“  
„Yes?“ Luke replies sweetly, visibly seconds away from breaking into a laugh.  
„Fuck you.“  
„Are you sure?“  
This time everyone except Harry and Louis groans. Harry is still frozen, his mind trapped in thoughts, mouth hanging open, Louis starts to smile beatifically.  
„I am better of course.“ he states „And you are disqualified!“  
„Hehe fair enough. I am better though.“ Luke grins unapologetically and winks at Harry who doesn’t notice.  
He is still staring at Louis.  
They are silent for a minute. People looking from one to the other. Not quite sure how to proceed from there.  
Hope is the one to break the silence. „Funny how Louis did not kick Luke or the resident couple for embarrassing him.“ she states silently.  
Niall nods furiously „I feel a bit jealous. He was always super strict with me and now he goes all soft.“  
„Oi.“ Louis protests.  
Harry blinks.  
Louis being strict with Niall?  
„Oh“ he mumbles his eyes going big again.  
Louis looks up in time to see Harry grabbing his phone and furiously, what… looking for something?  
Louis scrunches his face and then gets a funny feeling that gets confirmed when Harry’s eyes go big and flick to Louis.  
Harry is looking through the writing credits on Niall’s album.  
„Shit“ he mutters under his breath and straightens.  
„Let’s see.“ he drones in his game master voice, making several people jump.  
„Did we agree on a price for the winner?“  
„No.“ Hope says.  
„How about the loser buying the winner a surprise present?“ Luke suggests.  
„That would be you then.“ Oli deadpans.  
Luke shrugs „I gotta make it up somehow for being an idiot today.“  
„Oh so you noticed?“ Louis says sarcastically.  
„If he wants to.“ Niall shrugs.  
„Ok, that’s settled then. Luke buys the winner a present.“ Louis says. He looks up at Harry who is again looking intently at his phone, his brows furrowed, then looks down at his writing pad and adds the numbers together.  
„Luke is disqualified but he would have shared the last rank with Clara and Oli and Niall with 4 points anyway. The second rank goes to Hope and Harry with both 9 points.“ Hope does a fits-pump and Harry looks up, a bit too distracted to do more than smile and say „Oh wow“ silently. Lottie is already clapping silently and grinning.  
„And Lottie gets the first rank with 12 points. Yay!“ Louis exclaims and everyone cheers.  
„Awesome. Luke’s presents are always amazing.“ Lottie cheers, stands up and does a little victory dance.  
Louis smiles but freezes when his eyes flit over to Harry.  
Harry who is staring with his brows furrowed.  
„Uh oh.“ Niall exclaims with a laugh.  
„Uhm… yeah. I would. Like is it ok if we?“ Louis mumbles.  
„Harry are you angry at Louis?“ Lottie asks worriedly.  
Harry jerks upright „What? No. Why would you ask that?“  
„You looked a bit angry right now.“  
„Oh no.“ Louis interrupts. „That’s what he looks like when he’s thinking hard.“  
„Does he now?“ Oli snickers. „Ok we are off I guess.“  
„Louis, we are ok?“ Clara asks.  
„Yes we are, love.“ he nods and throws her a kiss.  
They all say their goodby’s and a minute later Louis closes the virtual room.  
Should he not go outside?  
Probably a bad idea.  
He wouldn’t put it past Harry to come knocking at his door. And that thought reminds him of a good diversion. He walks outside and is surprised to not see Harry already out. But then he sees the door open.

The moment Harry sees Louis he exclaims „Louis!“  
He sounds very accusatory.  
He sounds a bit like Louis's mum when he did something.  
Louis already feels the need to deescalate.  
„Harry, love.“ he dives under Lilith to pick up the bag that he deposited there earlier.  
„Here this is for you“ he groans, straightens up and bumps the bag into Harry’s chest because he is already standing right at the partition.  
„Later.“ Harry dismisses the bag without a glance „When were you gonna tell me that you wrote on No Judgement and Still and Everywhere? Did you write for other musicians? And how many celebrities do you know exactly???“  
Louis pouts and looks at the bag and back at Harry. Harry deepens his scowl. „Louis.“ his voice goes really deep, sending shivers down Louis back. Louis blinks slowly, looks at the bag and Harry again. Deepening his pout.  
„Louis!“ Harry squeaks, about 2 octaves higher than before. „I am serious. I need to know! My heart can’t take any more crazy surprises.“  
Louis snorts a laugh „Oh my. You are way too cute when you are angry. I swear it looks as if you are gonna stomp your foot any second.“  
Harry presses his lips together, narrowing his eyes.  
He was indeed seconds away from stomping his foot. But hell will freeze over before he would admit to that.  
„Ok, how about you look into the bag and then I’ll tell you what I am actually allowed to talk about?“  
„Oh“ Harry’s face relaxes „Ok, that’s… ok.“ Harry stutters and takes the bag that Louis has kept pressed against his chest the whole time.  
He looks inside and sees a big bundle of something crocheted? Knitted? It’s yarn anyway and it is squares of different colors that are fit together to some kind of something. He reaches in and touches it. The yarn is super soft and fluffy.  
His face goes soft.  
Louis looks at him with bright eyes.  
Harry pulls the thing out of the bag and it turns out to be a cardigan, but very big.  
Harry looks questioningly at Louis.  
„The couple that lives under you. The man, George, is a very avid knitter and he brought this thing up this morning.“  
„Okey“  
„But it’s way too large on me.“ Louis shrugs.  
Harry lifts the cardigan up „I think it’s also too big for me.“ Harry snickers while looking at the sleeves.  
„Put it on.“  
Harry swings it around and slips inside. The sleeves are huge but the body fits perfectly.  
And it’s comfy. Super soft and wide and the colors are bright.  
Red, yellow, green and a bright blue.  
Harry tugs his arms against his chest and closes his eyes.  
He loves it.  
„I love it.“ he says softly and opens his eyes to Louis pursing his lips, his eyes soft. „It looks good on you.“  
Harry sits down, pulls his knees up and wraps his arms around them. He snuggles his face into the sleeves, only his eyes still visible. „Now tell me!“ he demands and Louis giggles.  
„As you wish.“ he bows with his arm out and then sits down.

When Harry finally goes inside the sky is pitch black and the cardigan became necessary. They didn’t even talk that much. After Louis hit him with two big names he worked with and then fell silent they bickered a bit, but Louis stayed silent on anything more.  
Harry used their silence to digest everything that happened today.  
Everything that happened this week, really.  
They watch the crows and the clouds and Harry ends up talking about his plans with the balcony, about which Louis is very enthusiastic.  
„Plants?“ he had exclaimed with shining eyes and Harry had decided then and there to involve him more.  
Maybe he can make him help to pot all the plants or even painting the pots.  
Harry puts the dishes in the dishwasher.  
They had leftovers again.  
He is pleased to see that the freezer is actually getting low on those.

Harry ends the day with a bit of cleaning.  
He puts his cleaning playlist on random and starts with wiping down all bath appliances while dancing and singing along to Waterloo. When he is done rinsing off the shower there is a moment of silence between songs. Harry steps out of the bath and hears a small sound coming from the stairwell. He steps closer to the door, the next song starts with swelling synthesizer sounds and Harry hears a loud mewling.  
Eh?  
He closes the distance to the flat door and cracks it open carefully.  
There is a cat sitting on his threshold.  
She meows and looks at him with accusing eyes.  
Harry stares back.  
„Uhm“  
He crouches down and holds out his hand. „Hello again, darling.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking 2 weeks for this.  
> I am in a bit of a low right now so the next chapters might take a bit longer. I still try to upload on Friday Or Saturday though
> 
> Again huge thanks to wiHLma for doing some research and giving me feedback and inspiration and the occasional "Take your time" to remind me to not push myself so much.
> 
> Thank you also to everyone reading. I love you all!  
> Leave a comment if you like.
> 
> Also I am thinking about making a tumblr for this. What would you want to see there?


	10. New flatmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get a lot closer  
> There is physical exercise involved and some staring and admiring.  
> Also some lumps in throats and a panicky rant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texts are in cursive

Sunday, 12th of April

Since Harry came back to London he has found two routes that he jogs on.  
One is shorter and runs through the lived-in areas mostly. The other goes into the valley, has lots of nature and passes by a few paddocks with horses.  
He usually takes the shorter route, the long one only once or twice a week when he is in need of a bigger workout, and fresh air and nature.  
The first time he met her he had been on the longer route and taken a little breather at one of those horse paddocks. She had walked up to him, butted her head against his leg and meowed. He scratched her for a few minutes, relishing in the familiar feel of fur on his fingers.  
They met a few times after that. Once, very close to the horse farm, he started a conversation with a woman that had come to get one of the horses.  
„She likes you.“ the woman had commented. „She usually doesn’t let people pet her.“  
„Is she the farm cat?“ Harry asked.  
„Not really.“ she put the reins on the horse „She spend winter mostly in the stables but she comes and goes as she likes. Vanishes for weeks sometimes. We first thought she ran away from somewhere but we let the vet check her out a few days ago and she didn’t find a chip.“  
„Are you a lonesome stranger?“ Harry had coed and scratched the cat a bit more. She’d meowed loudly and walked into the bushes surrounding the paddock.

And now she is sitting in the stairwell in front of his door.  
Harry crouches down to greet her. „Hello again, darling.“  
She leans forward to sniff his fingers and then butts her head against the hand in an unmistakable sign of „pet me“.  
So he pets her.  
It takes only a few scratches on her head for her to step closer and rub against his legs.  
„How did you get in here?“ he murmurs while stroking her back.  
She looks up at him. Meows loudly and walks into the flat.  
„What? No! You can’t…“ Harry protests nearly toppling over from reaching for her. She is too fast though. Harry hurriedly stands up, closes the flat door and sees her turning into the living room. Harry runs after her, in a spur of the moment decision closing the bedroom door so she can’t vanish in there and turns into the living area.  
He looks to his right into the kitchen but can’t see her. He leans left into the living room and sees her jumping onto the windowsill.  
When he reaches her she has made herself comfortable.  
„What are you doing?“ Harry murmurs while reaching his hand out. She eyes him warily and growls.  
He pulls his hand away, tugging it against his chest.  
„Okey.“  
She stays silent then. Her tail and ears twitching and her eyes looking over the room and Harry.  
After a minute she turns to look outside.  
„Okey.“ Harry draws the word out. „Do you intend to stay there?“  
The cat ignores him.  
Harry sighs and walks to the table where his phone and laptop lie. He stops the music, grabs his phone and dials his mum's number.  
„Mum? I think I just got adopted by a cat?“

Monday, 13th of April

Harry feels very wrong about doing this but he doesn’t have much of a choice. He pulls the bag out of his backpack, opens it up by rolling the opening down and starts shoveling sand into it with his hands.

He had woken up to a cat licking his face. It had taken him a moment to realize that he is not a teenager still living at home anymore and then another moment to remember that yes, he has a cat now.  
Said cat had, as expected, peed into his flat.  
What was not expected was that she did it in the only place where it was acceptable, into the shower. Harry had leaned down and petted her head „Good job, Gloria.“  
She had stretched her head and majestically allowed him to pet her some more.  
And now, about half an hour later Harry is outside on his run, the sun is currently rising and he is stealing sand.  
He needs something to make a makeshift litter box and his mum told him yesterday that the best way to get a stray to pee where you want them too is to provide them with something that smells of their usual surroundings. This is why Harry took the long route today, with a backpack to stash the stolen sand in.  
Harry looks around to see if anyone is approaching, but he stays alone and unnoticed or at least unchallenged.  
He does not however run the rest of the round but opts to turn back. With the several kilos of sand on him, the run will be hard enough and he wants to be back before Gloria feels the need for more than peeing.

He finds a big enough cardboard box in his closet, empties the blankets out of it, lines the thing with a cut-up plastic bag and fills it with several centimeters of the sand. Gloria watches him intently while he fills it up.  
„This is for you to poop and pee in.“ Harry explains. „I know it’s not perfect but if you want to stay in here you have to abide by basic human hygiene rules.“ Gloria sniffs the sand and then walks out of the bath.  
Harry’s hopes for a clean flat sink.  
As she already chose the bath as the place to pee, Harry guesses that keeping the litter box there would be the best idea but when she hasn’t used the thing a few hours later, hasn’t pooped anywhere, really, Harry gets a bit anxious. He has been spending the whole day on and off looking up cat-related questions, pestering his mum with some too, and his head feels like it’s exploding.  
He got rid of the dieffenbachia, formerly standing in the living room, now under the window besides Louis door, and he also defrosted and cut up a chicken breast for her to eat. „Good that I still got some of the good meat frozen. Otherwise, you would have had to survive on egg today.“ He tells her when she comes checking out what he is doing in the kitchen.  
A few hours later he is going through his mental checklist again while sitting on the toilet when she scratches at the door. Harry looks at the door with a raised eyebrow. She scratches again and meows.  
„What?“  
Meow.  
This time more demanding.  
Harry reaches out and opens the door a crack. Gloria slides inside like some kind of liquid worm, looks up at him and jumps into the box. She keeps eye contact with him while pooping.  
„Uhm… okey.“  
When she is done she gets out of the box, sits down and starts to groom herself.  
„You can get out, you know?“ Harry suggests. She ignores him.  
He is chuckling while cleaning himself up, flushing and pulling up his tracks.  
She jumps on top of the washing machine and leans over to the basin while he washes his hands.  
„You want to wash too?“ he fills his hands with water and holds them out to her. She sniffs carefully and then dips a paw in. Licks the water off and does it again.  
„You know you’ve got water in the kitchen, right?“ She sniffs again and starts licking Harry's fingers. „Awwww. That’s so nice of you to clean me. Didn’t I do a good job with it?“ after a few minutes she stops, jumps down and walks out.  
„Ok.“ Harry looks into the box „Yay.“

He doesn’t see Louis outside. Probably because he is so distracted and has only gone outside twice and also only for a minute. Gloria has shown a strong interest in the balcony and Harry is hell bend on avoiding her walking outside and falling to death from this high up.  
He can’t wait for tomorrow.  
Gloria choosing Easter Sunday to pop up on his doorstep and invade his home, when all shops are closed on Monday.  
Harry sighs.  
What a diva.

Tuesday, 14th of April

„Ok, out with it!“ Louis instructs.  
They are sitting on their balconies.  
Harry, having found a way to block the balcony door from being pushed open by a stubborn cat head butting it.  
Louis' reading through old notebooks to find a lyric he wrote years ago.  
After yesterday being a lot colder than the week before, only 11°C to an average of 23°C last week, today is gonna be a bit warmer and also with fewer clouds. At least that’s what the forecast promised.  
It’s cloudy and the sun has not yet made a solid appearance so Louis is bundled up in his favourite hoodie, the black one with the embroidered flowers, and blue blanket. Beside him on the table stands a thermo cup with tea. Harry is actually wearing the huge knitted cardigan and has been sighing and huffing for a few minutes now, his lip red and puffy from kneading them between his fingers. Harry looks up from his phone and regards Louis. „Sorry.“ He finally drawls. „I didn’t want to annoy you.“  
Louis rolls his eyes. „You didn’t annoy me. Now tell me what's going on.“  
Harry keeps looking at him, his face blank, with his eyebrows furrowed.  
Louis is lowering his chin, raising his eyebrows in a silent invitation to spill.  
Harry scrunches his face and pinches the bridge of his nose with a soft sigh. He really doesn’t want to burden Louis with anything and he knows Louis will definitely offer to help.  
„Don’t break your brain over this, Curly.“ Louis chuckles when Harry does not say anything. „Talking helps to find clarity or just a new point of view. I am offering myself to be an ear for you. Nothing more.“ He closes the book on his lap, focusing completely on Harry who nods and ruffles through his hair and swoops it back.  
„I uhmm, I ordered some stuff at the hardware store a while back and today I had to order some more.“ His eyes flick to the window beside him to see if Gloria is watching him. She is not. „And they hadn’t shipped the first order yet, so I asked if they could add a bit more to that order and they said yes. Which was good I guess but when I asked them about how long it would take to send it over they told me it could take a few weeks because of the restrictions and everyone ordering and most of their employees not working and the postal service having the same problems. I can’t wait for a few weeks.“  
Louis scrunches his face. „Inconvenient.“  
„Yeah. They offered that I could pick the order up if it’s pressing.“  
Louis furrows his brows. That's actually a good thing.  
„But I don’t have a car.“ Harry finishes with a pout.  
Oh ok. That makes sense now.  
Louis opens his mouth to offer his car but then snaps it shut.  
He had said he would listen.  
Not offer help.  
And Harry is so freaking stubborn about stuff like that.  
„Is it a lot?“ Louis asks and starts bouncing his leg.  
„Kinda.“ Harry looks around „And pretty heavy too.“  
„So no way to carry it all here on foot.“  
„No.“ Harry scowls and looks at his hands.  
Plays with his rings.  
Looks up to the birds flying around the house.  
Louis sighs.  
Screw it!  
„Can I offer my help? I have a car after all.“  
Harry’s eyes fly to him, sparkling but then he coughs and schools his features.  
He opens his mouth to say something.  
Probably protest, judging by his expression.  
Louis cuts him off.  
The sparkling eyes were enough for him to ignore any and every protest.  
„Alright. We’ll take my car. When would we have to be there to pick it up?“  
Harry closes his mouth and opens it again with a scowl.  
„When Harry?“ Louis interrupts him again.  
Harry huffs „You are way too bossy for a person so tiny.“ he grouses.  
„Oi!“ Louis protests „I am not tiny!“  
„Sure.“ Harry rolls his eyes and looks at his phone. „Give me a minute.“ He grumbles while holding up his right pointer finger and placing the phone at his ear.  
Louis breaks into a grin when he hears him talk with the service person of the shop and stands up to stretch.  
„Can we make it in an hour?“ Harry looks at him.  
„Where are we going?“ Louis groans while bending sideways with his left arm stretched to the right behind his head.  
„B&Q in Glencoe Road.“  
Louis furrows his brows „Off the willow-tree roundabout?“  
„Off the willow-tree roundabout?“ Harry asks into the phone. Then looks up at Louis and nods „Yeah.“  
„Perfectly manageable.“ Louis confirms.  
„Yeah. In one hour is perfect. Thank you very much.“

15 minutes later Louis steps out of his flat. Right on the agreed time.  
He is not sure how that happened.  
The staircase window beside his flat door has now a big green plant.  
He is also not sure when and why that happened.  
It feels a bit weird to not just think about it but actually walk over to Harry’s door and knock.  
He fixes his fringe while he waits and jumps when the door thunks and shakes with an impact of some kind.  
He takes a small step backwards.

Harry, currently checking his phone for the order confirmation, hears the knock, walks half body into the doorframe, stumbles around the corner and loses his footing. He rams into the flat door and after a bit of fumbling and righting himself up, he opens it. Louis has changed into a grey jumper and black jeans and looks at him with concerned eyes. „Alright?“  
„Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just lost my footing.“ Harry hurriedly replies and feels his cheeks heat. He stares at Louis white trainers and then up into his smiling face.  
„Next step: Putting shoes on.“ Louis supplies with a wink and Harry looks at his feet.  
„Right.“ Harry chuckles and reaches for a pair of sneakers. „Give me a sec.“ he mumbles while trying to slip into the shoes, step outside and pull the door close.  
Just before he successfully pulls it shut, he stops and goes over his mental check note.  
Keys? Yep! They are dangling from his pointer finger.  
Phone? Yep.  
Mask? He pats the back pocket of his jeans. Yep.  
He shuts the door with a silent click.  
Louis is grinning and softly chuckling.  
„You’ve got a mask?“  
„Yep.“ Harry pulls out the blue bandana.  
„Then let’s go.“ Louis leads the way.  
They are halfway down the first stairs when Harry says „You changed out of the black hoodie.“  
„I did indeed. That thing is my most priced possession. I’m not gonna ruin it with whatever we are carrying today.“  
„It’s a keepsake?“  
„No. I meant the most priced possession quite literally. That hoodie costs about 600£.“  
„What?“ Harry squeaks.  
„Niall gave it to me as a thank you and apology.“  
„Apology? What did he do?“ Harry runs through several scenarios of things that Niall could have done to make such a pricey apology necessary, one more improbable then the other.  
„Nothing really. He is just a way too nice guy.“ Louis appeases.

On the last staircase, Harry looks at Louis walking down the stairs and mumbles „Actually really tiny.“ He shuts his mouth with a snap. That was not supposed to be said out loud.  
Louis throws him a scathing look over his shoulder. „I am literally several steps lower than you.“  
Harry bites his lips but when they step out of the house he looks down at Louis and snickers „Tiny“ he says matter of factly.  
Louis, who is about to walk down the road turns around and narrows his eyes. „You want a car ride, Curly?“  
„Yes, sir.“ Harry replies.  
„Then you better be nice to me.“  
„Ok. Understood.“ Harry chuckles. „I’m gonna be so nice to you that you won’t know what to do with yourself.“ he tags on, his voice going raspy.  
Louis' mouth falls open.  
He looks Harry up and down to see if the innuendo suggesting tone was on purpose.  
Harry only smiles broadly.  
Louis snaps his mouth shut, gives a sharp nod and stalks away. „Good.“  
They have to walk a bit to get to the car. The house only having two parking spaces that, Harry concludes, must be rented by someone else.  
Louis' car is parked in a hidden side street and turns out to be a bright orange, maybe red, Beetle.  
„Nice color.“ Harry comments.  
Louis smiles and unlocks the car. „We should maybe wear masks in there.“ he says and Harry stops short in opening the door, frowns.  
„We should probably.“  
He kinda forgot about that. Louis' somehow not registering as a person from a different household.  
Louis nods and pulls a washed-out rainbow-colored bandana from his pocket.  
It is visibly old, the edges tattered and colors so washed out that they look pastel instead of bright rainbow-colored.  
They strap in, Louis starts the car and slowly drives around the potholes to the next intersection.  
Harry watches him leaning forward in his seat when checking for oncoming traffic, Louis' eyes flitting around while he waits for an opening. They pass by the college and once they are on the A4 Louis leans back a bit, not completely relaxed, and accelerates.  
„You are a very careful driver.“ Harry says after a minute.  
„Am I?“  
„Yup.“ Harry pops the p.  
Louis smiles at Harry, his crinkling eyes giving him away, but looks back to the street fast.  
„What are we picking up?“  
„Uhm… stuff for the balcony. Planters and potting soil and plants.“  
Louis' eyes fly over to him for a second „You planning on a green balcony?“  
„Yes!“ Harry beams. Not that Louis would see that, his eyes are fastened on the road again.  
Louis giggles. „You sound very excited about this.“  
„I am. Always wanted some kind of garden.“  
„So you are good with plants?“  
„No clue.“ Harry shrugs with a giggle.  
„Eh?“  
„But I am dedicated to trying.“

The pick-up area is a visibly makeshift thing of tape and site fence. There are 3 other people before them. Louis takes a parking spot relatively close to the area. With enough space for the van parked in front of it right now to get out once they are finished.  
They get out and place themselves close to the roped-off area.  
The sun is slowly coming out but the sky is mostly white-grey still and it’s cold. Harry turns his head towards the sun to try and catch at least some rays. He pulls down the bandana and reveals his slack mouth.  
Louis does the same, fresh air hitting his face.  
When it’s their turn Harry opens his phone to the order confirmation and gives them his name and the order number.  
„Oh. That one.“ the cashier mumbles into his mask and turns to get it, leaving Harry and Louis looking at each other. Louis raises an eyebrow. „What was that about?“  
Harry’s cheeks turn visibly darker „uhhh… I’m not sure?“  
„Try that again, Curly.“  
The cashier comes back, pushing a manual stacker with a pallet filled with stuff.  
Louis' mouth falls open.  
„Harold.“  
„Mhhh?“  
„You could have warned me.“  
„Please tell me your trunk is empty.“  
„A bit late for that love, but yes my trunk is mostly empty.“  
Harry sighs in elation.  
It didn’t even occur to him that the Beetle could be a bit too small for all the stuff. But then, he also didn’t quite think it would be that much.  
„Can we use the…?“ Louis turns to the cashier and motions toward the stacker.  
„Nope.“ the guy says.  
„Great“ Harry groans. „I am sorry, Louis.“  
Louis turns towards him „Let’s go then.“ He grabs the three terra-cotta planters that are stacked on top and walks towards his car. Harry relocates the plants that are placed on top to the side so they can take the heavy stuff first. He is trailing behind Louis with one of the packages that seem to be the wood planters. Harry sends a thank you to the lords above that those have to be assembled at home.  
Louis' trunk is really empty, save for a few empty bottles, a blanket and a folding box. Louis throws those into the space between the co-drivers seat and back seat and folds the backseats forward to make the room as big as possible.  
„First those packages, then the soil, then the planters, those rolls and then the plants?“ Louis suggests while they walk back.  
„Sounds about right.“ Harry agrees. „Only the currant needs to stand. Can we put that in that small space behind your seat?“  
Louis looks at the plant critically. „That should work.“ He grabs a package, just like Harry and when they are at the car they put them inside. They don’t fit perfectly but the soil bags will buffer any sliding.  
Back at the load, Louis grabs three bags of soil and walks back.  
Harry gapes at him. „You are strong.“  
„I’m not really. Me legs are where the real muscle is.“  
„He said while carrying 60 liters of potting soil without breaking stride.“ Harry deadpans. Louis' words do make him curious though and he checks out Louis' legs that are, as far as he can see in those jeans, indeed really nice and toned.  
„Tho me legs didn’t get a good workout in ages.“ Louis scowls while depositing the bags into the back of his car. When he turns around he catches Harry staring at his bum.  
„Like what you see?“ Louis teases.  
Harry nods immediately and then looks up with his eyes round „Oh no. That was rude. I am so sorry. What were you saying about no workout?“  
Louis snickers. „I haven’t got any workout for me legs in ages.“  
Harry puts his bag beside the others. Straightening them out for the other bags and pots to not tumble around on them.  
„Really?“ Harry’s eyes flicker back to said legs while they walk back to get the next load of his stuff.  
„Yeah. No training for“ Louis stops walking and scowls in concentration. Harry still transfixed by his backside nearly runs into him and is barely able to avoid the impact by twirling around him. His hand brushes over Louis' left shoulder and his feet scruff against the ground, making him stumble.  
„2 months?“ Louis finishes. Looking at the struggling Harry with a confused grin.  
„You can’t just stop walking like that!“ Harry protests, righting himself up.  
„Sorry, Curly.“ Louis says and pats Harry’s arm while passing him. He takes the last two bags of soil, hitches them up on his arms like a baby, even if it is a rather large baby and skips past Harry who is openly starring again. His mouth hanging open.  
„Come on, Curly.“ he singsongs. „Stop gaping and get your tush moving.“  
Harry grabs the press cardboard tray with the plants, the currant and the rolled-up reed mat. He places them beside the car while Louis pushes stuff around and goes back to retrieve the small roll that’s supposed to be 20m of net and a plastic bag that had been dangling off the stacker. He checks the bag for anything missing. The cashier looking rather bored. When it is clear that nothing is missing. Harry throws everything back into the bag, nods to the guy and marches off.  
Louis has already stacked everything inside, even the currant sitting neatly and safe in that tiny space behind the driver's seat.  
„Could you maybe take the planters on your lap?“ he mumbles while grabbing the rolled-up net from Harry’s hand and using it to further secure the cardboard tray.  
Harry looks inside. The planters sit in a corner but they don’t look secure enough to stay where they are when the car starts taking corners and god forbid accelerates.  
„Yeah, of course.“ he leans in and pulls them out. „Somehow there is a lot more room in this tiny car than it appears.“  
„That or I am a packing genius.“ Louis puffs his chest out.  
„Definitely that too.“ Harry smiles at him. Louis closes the trunk and they stand there. Harry, with three heavy planters and a full bag dangling from his hand, looks at Louis who looks up at him.  
Such blue eyes, Harry thinks and looks a bit more.  
It’s such a nice color.  
Friendly and warm and sometimes glittering with mischief.  
How does Louis manage to make blue a warm color?  
Harry doesn’t know.  
He only feels it.

Louis clears his throat. „Come on, Harold.“ he walks around him and opens the door for him. „Give me those while you buckle in.“ Louis reaches his hands out and takes the planters and bag from Harry. „Uff. What's in that bag? It’s nearly as heavy as one of those planters.“  
„Small stuff“ Harry comments distractedly while folding into the Beetle. It’s a tight fit now.  
„Small stuff?“ Louis sounds incredulous.  
„Lots of it.“ Harry chuckles „Put the bag in the planters, will ya?“  
Louis grunts and does as instructed. Then shoves the planters onto Harry’s lap.  
Harry can barely look over the rim. He stares at the planters for a moment, then dives in for a tight hug, leaning his head against the rim „Hello babies.“ he cheers „Welcome to the family.“  
Louis bursts out laughing, closes the door and walks over to his side.  
When he settles in, Harry is checking his phone, his cheek still resting on the planters. „Uhm, Louis?“  
Louis side-eyes him „What?“  
„Could we maybe do a tiny detour and pick something else up?“ Harry’s eyebrows try to merge with each other. He is doing the extreme puppy eyes. Louis turns around and looks pointedly into the back of the car.  
„Oh no. It’s small stuff. Only a few packages of medicine for a cat.“  
„A cat?“  
Harry nods.  
„Where to?“  
„Greenwood vet clinic.“  
„Can you give me directions?“  
„Wait.“ Harry activates the navigator for directions.  
Louis nods and starts the car. The car engine audibly struggles to get them moving, Louis patting the dashboard when they come to a roll „Sorry for that, darlin. Blame the curly-headed one for it.“  
„Heyyy“ Harry protests.  
He breaks off the hug with the planters and leans back into his seat.  
Louis sticks out his tongue to the left.  
Harry reaches to the front, his hand softly patting the dashboard. He doesn’t even have to lean forward to do that. Louis grumbles.  
So unfair.  
„Sorry, darling.“ Harry mumbles.  
„That’s Hattie for you.“ Louis comments „You haven’t earned the rights for endearments yet!“  
Harry blinks at him, his mouth hanging open. He shakes his head and chuckles.  
„Hattie.“ he says, sounding out the name as if testing it for correct fit. „I would have expected something like Ruby.“  
They are standing at a red light. Louis turns to him, his eyebrows raised. „Don’t tell me because of the color.“  
Harry grins sheepishly „Ok, I won’t tell you then.“  
Louis groans and turns back to the street light „Come on, Curly. That’s the easiest way out. Where is your creativity?“  
„You need to teach me then. I don’t have any creativity.“ Harry grins.  
„Says the guy that combined watermelon with salt just so it tastes sweeter.“ Louis deadpans.  
„Hehe. That’s a stolen idea. I live by stealing other people's creativity. You need to feed me with new stuff!“ He pushes his bottom lip forward, making a whiney sound when Louis ignores him.  
Louis' eyes flick to him for a second and he laughs. „Whatever should I feed you with? You look right starved.“  
Harry stops pouting „Tell me how this beauty became a Hattie.“ he pats the dashboard again.  
„Mhhh“ Louis muses while the navigation gives him new directions. „When I got her, Luke immediately looked up the name of the color which happens to be Habanero Orange Metallic and then he insisted on naming her the Habanero“ he stops and rubs his chin „What was it? Habanero Hot Lovers“ he turns a corner, making sure to not cross anyone off „Hot Lovers Limo, or something like that.“  
„Excuse me?“  
„Yep exactly my reaction. I had to nip that in the bud! But I hadn’t thought of a name yet and looked around for inspiration. We were in front of Shoreditch House and they had a poster up with names on it and one was Hattie something. Saw it and loved it. That’s how this cutie here became Hattie.“  
„Shoreditch House? Fancy.“  
„We were not going in there.“ Louis laughs „At least not on that day as far as I can recall. It was way too fancy for poor students like us.“  
„Not on that day? So you did go in there at some point.“ Harry chuckles.  
„Yes, I did. Lot’s of rich fancy snobs in there. Most of them pretty gay too.“  
Harry’s mouth falls open. He stares at Louis. „I wouldn’t have pegged you as the guy looking for a sugar daddy.“  
Louis sputters „What? No.“ He levels Harry with a hard look „No way! I was looking for sponsors for the play I was working on.“  
Harry hums in agreement „Well then that's a good place to be. Did you find any?“  
„Yes I did.“ Louis says, sounding a bit as if it’s self-explanatory.  
„You always get what you want?“  
„Not always. But often enough.“  
Harry shuts up then. Looking at Louis who is concentrating on driving. Still leaning slightly forward as if on the brink of jumping.  
He is thinking of what would happen if someone would get Louis to relax for an extended period of time. He has seen the soft face Louis gets when he drifts off, but more often than not it gets replaced by the mischievous glint in his eyes or him pressing Harry for more answers, more information.  
They arrive at the veterinary clinic a minute later.  
„There you go.“  
„Not sure how long this will take.“ Harry mumbles while shuffling out from under the planters.  
Louis grunts in acknowledgment and digs out his phone. „Good luck.“  
Harry pops his head in with a smile. „Thank you, Louis.“

Louis  
_Someone tell me why I am in front of a veterinary clinic in Ruislip on a Monday at 2 p.m.  
_  
Oli  
_Because you have a soft heart and can’t say no?  
_  
Luke  
_I’d prefer if YOU told US why you are there  
_  
Louis  
_See? This is the difference between my very best friend and you Luke  
_  
Luke  
_I thought we had already established that you are a huge softie and there wasn’t any need to mention it?  
Who couldn’t you say no to, though?  
_  
Louis  
_Well  
_  
Oli  
_Oh no  
_  
Louis  
_Technically I wasn’t even asked  
_  
Oli  
_You offered  
_  
Louis  
_I did  
_  
Luke  
_…  
Is it someone you’d regret to have offered?  
_  
Louis  
_No!  
_  
Luke  
_Why is it a problem then?  
_  
Oli  
_It’s Harry, isn’t it?  
Louis?  
_  
Luke  
_I think you hit the nail on the head  
_  
———

Louis looks at Oli’s message, sighs, switches to his contacts and dials Lottie’s number.  
She picks up at the second ring.  
„Hello big brother“  
„Hy love. Would you have 5 minutes to talk?“  
„You are lucky. I have time for a quick 5h talk.“  
„Hehe. Not much to do in lockdown?“  
„I am so bored.“ she whines, dragging the words out.  
„And it’s not even a month yet since they locked us all up.“  
„I know. How is that supposed to end?“  
Louis gnaws at his lips, his eyes glued to the door of the clinic.  
„Anyway. Why did you call?“  
„I“ Louis rakes his hand through his hair, leaving a mess. He sees his reflection in the rearview mirror and fixes his fringe.  
„Louis?“  
„I miss cuddling you and the girls and the babies.“ Louis spits out the first thought that pops into his head.  
„I miss that too.“ Lottie says softly. „I had a FaceTime with the girls yesterday. They are good. The grandparents dealing well with them and the whole situation. Pheebs and Daisy are whining about the schoolwork of course.“  
Louis snorts „Of course they are whining. They complain to me a lot. The school workload seems to have been raised for some reason. Not sure what the school thinks it’s doin’.“  
„They probably don’t know themselves.“  
Louis hums in agreement.  
„Now tell me what’s going on!“  
„I- I don’t“ Louis trails off. Why did he even call her? „I’m-“ He looks around in the car, to find something to say. His eyes get stuck on the planters. The planters that Harry had hugged and grinned at him cheekily, his eyes glittering. Louis snorts. And rubs his hand over his face forcefully.  
„Harry.“ he mumbles.  
Hoping she didn’t hear.  
Hoping she did hear.  
She hums softly.  
„What is happening?“  
Louis is taking a deep breath to quell the rising feeling in his throat.  
It’s not working particularly well.  
He takes another breath.  
„I am in my car waiting for him to get back out from the veterinary clinic with medicine for a cat. I don’t even know why he needs that. He doesn’t own a cat. And my car is packed, like packed! with stuff for his balcony because he ordered it for his balcony to make it a garden, of course, he wants his balcony to be a green jungle of some kind and the shop doesn’t deliver right now because no one really delivers right now! So he had to pick it up but he doesn’t have a car, of course, he doesn’t. Why would he? He wasn’t in the country for years! And he didn’t ask for help because he is stubborn like that but he actually wanted help so I offered and now my car is stuffed with soil and plants and planters that he hugged and welcomed to his family. Like who does that? It’s so freaking cute! And we talked all the way and he was apologetic for not realizing how much he actually ordered and he is clumsy like a foal and has to basically fold up to sit in the car but he is also cheeky and smiles as if he means it and he is so easy to talk too. We even forgot to put our masks back on when we got back into the car because it just feels as if we are doing it for the 100th time not the first. I don’t think he even noticed the mask thing and I am here freaking out because he is just so easy to get along with and he probably is just forgetful because his mind is god knows where thinking up new recipes or planning for when he can go back on the road.“  
Louis stops dead.  
Shit!  
How did that all come out?  
That wasn’t meant to happen.  
He is shaking.  
„Breathe“ Lottie says softly.  
Louis takes a deep breath.  
That seems to help so he does it again.  
„Better?“  
„Maybe?“  
„It’s ok to like people, Louis.“  
„But“  
„No! No but’s! It’s ok to get to know new people and like them! No, if’s and but’s. And honestly, Harry is a charmer. He is well-spoken and funny and a bit weird and a looker, on top of that. He is interesting and he seems to like you.“  
Louis narrows his eyes even though she can’t see him.  
„Now stop thinking it through. There is nothing logical about liking people.“  
Louis grumbles.  
„Go with the flow and see if you found a friend in him or maybe even a brother.“  
„Brother?“ Louis can’t stop the incredulity.  
Lottie laughs „Not?“  
Yeah, no! Brother is a concept that does so not mesh with Harry in his mind.  
Harry chooses that moment to step out of the house, pulling the bandana down from his face, his other hand holding several packages, he squints for Louis in the car.  
„He is back. Gotta go. Love you and thank you for your ear.“  
„Love you too, Louis.“ Lottie makes a kissing sound „Say hello to him from me.“  
Harry opens the door and looks at the planters.  
„Will do, bye.“ Louis makes a kissing noise back.  
Harry looks at him „What a nice way to be greeted.“ he drawls and grins cheekily.  
„Lottie says hello.“  
„Oh. Thank you.“ Harry smiles, places the packages beside the bag into the planters and starts raising them up.  
„You need help with that?“ Louis asks.  
„I think I’ll manage.“ Harry mumbles while trying to slide underneath them.  
Louis opens up the chat with the guys.

——

Niall  
😂  
_As usual, Tommo simply vanishes when someone comes too close to the truth  
Tommo you do know that we love you BECAUSE you are such a lovely human being, right?  
_  
Luke  
_This_ 👆

Oli  
_+1  
_  
Louis  
_Sorry guys. I called Lottie for a bit  
Yeah I do know that, Niall  
Thank you all for reminding me from time to time_  
🤗

„Are you hungry?“ Harry asks while struggling to get out of the car with the planters held tight to his chest.  
„A bit. Probably a bit more after we dragged all that stuff up to yours.“  
„I’m gonna make us something.“  
„Ok.“  
Louis opens the trunk and starts handing the plants to Harry.  
„Uhm.“  
Louis looks up into Harry’s dancing eyes. He still holds the three planters with the bags and medicine in his arms. He is also grinning like an idiot. „You go take the flowers up. They need special care and love. I am sure you are the perfect person for that.“ Harry winks and walks up to the door. Tries to reach into his pocket for the key but gives up after a minute.  
Louis sighs and is by his side before Harry can put the planters down.  
He leans around him and unlocks the door.  
„Thank you.“ Harry smiles at him and bumps the door further open with his hip.  
„You are welcome.“  
Louis wedges a piece of wood under the door to keep it from falling shut and starts unloading the whole trunk into the staircase. The cardboard tray with the plants carefully placed on the roof of the car.  
When Harry comes back down Louis is struggling with the currant plant that somehow has wedged itself between the seats.  
“Come on now you little … Stop struggling! Now, what good will it be too you to stay in the car? Huh? Be nice … Ha! There we go. Good job.“  
Harry silently stands behind him and watches him curse at the plant but despite Louis' cursing, his hands are careful and soft. The plant gets out of it without even a leaf ripped.  
„Like I said. You are the best to take care of the plants.“ Harry smiles softly and takes the plant from Louis.  
Louis turns away without a word and fixes the seats into their proper position.  
„I’m gonna get the car away.“  
He had parked it on one of the thankfully empty parking spots in front of the house so they could unload fast.  
„Ok.“ Harry bumps him with his hips and walks into the house.  
„Close the door!“ Louis calls out to him and jumps into the car.

It takes him ages to get back because his favourite spot is taken by a truck unloading building material. Louis eyes the situation warily. Hopefully, they won’t block the street off for construction. Traffic is not that bad yet but somehow all the old people that drive at walking pace seem to have decided to have a drive around right now.  
He comes back to the house half an hour later. His stomach grumbling.  
He unlocks the door, expects to find the staircase empty but finds the plants still standing there. A bright yellow sticker on the tray catches his eye.  
„Please care for us, Louis.“ is written in bold letters.  
Louis snorts „Weirdo“  
He takes the plants and walks up to their landing. Another note, this time neon pink, on Harry’s door reads „Knock, friend, and enter.“  
Louis blinks at it a few times.  
He knocks.  
The door flies open just a few seconds later, Harry looks disheveled, his hair a curly mess. „Hi.“ he breaks into a smile „Come in, come in.“ he opens the door wider to let Louis past.  
„You did not seriously quote Gandalf on me, right?“  
Harry giggles „Well. I had to look the quote up. But you recognized it right away.“  
Louis rolls his eyes at him and bends down to place the plants on the floor and pull his shoes off.  
Harry’s shoes, two pairs of sneakers, are placed neatly against the wall, on a small rug that looks like a cut piece of a flowery pale pink fluff carpet, beside a clothes rag. Louis puts his beside them and straightens up. Harry snatches the tray from the ground and walks towards the end of the hallway. „Hello, my darlings. Welcome to your new home. Did Louis treat you right?“ he softly strokes the leaf's of one of them „He did, didn’t he?“ Harry looks back at Louis, who is staring at him and turns left into what Louis assumes is the path towards the balcony.  
Louis walks after him dumbly. Carefully holding the currant.  
The hallway is a small thing, there is only really room for the clothes rag. The wall opposite of the entrance a big, white impersonal thing and at the end of it three doors, or two actual doors and one pathway. That's where Harry vanished so that’s where Louis goes.  
„Wow.“ escapes him when he steps around the corner.  
He stops walking. The room is a mix of living room and kitchen. To his right is the kitchen part with a cooking island. All appliances look like polished chrome but the main colour is a muted blue-grey that goes really well with the dark oak wood floor, the same that Louis also has in his flat. A kitchen island that is bracketed by two thick columns dominates the room. Mounted between the pillars is a chrome vent hood just above the stove, on which a pot is releasing steam and delicious smells of broth and spices and coconut. The cabinets are mostly white like the walls, with the inner panels in the same blue-grey as the island. On the far right end of the room is a window and straight ahead of Louis is the door to the balcony. Harry is standing there, leaning against the door frame, watching him look at the room.  
To Louis' left is a thin wall that spans three quarters of the room, leaving two passages to the living room on either side of it. Mounted on that wall is a huge painting of an orange and a dragon fruit on some big, dark leaf's. Both fruits cut open, thin slices seemingly about to slide away from the main fruit body. The structure of the fruits is dotted with drops of their own juices. Louis' mouth waters. Just above the painting runs a shelf board along the entire wall with appliances, most of which Louis has never seen before. They look nice though, all neatly lined up and gleaming, even in the muted light they have today.  
He peaks into the living room. There is the couch that he already saw on their zoom call, pale sand-colored with flowery pillows and a throw over the backrest that looks as if it’s made from satin. The lefthand wall has a massive sideboard in the same dark-colored oak as the floor. There is also a small table and a very plush rug. Louis wants to sink his feet into it.  
A small noise makes him look back at Harry who is stepping towards him now, reaching his arms out. For a moment Louis wants to mirror him, but then remembers the plant in his arms. Harry catches his eyes briefly, his mouth twitching into something like a soft grin then he takes the plant and croons „Hello to you too, darling. Welcome to your home.“ He walks outside with the plant and puts it down on the right side.  
Louis swallows hard against the lump in his throat.  
He stands there for a moment. Getting his breathing back to normal, then walking towards the balcony.  
His eyes are drawn back to the painting. Close up it looks more as if it was spray painted, a curvy signature at the mid-bottom reading „PHO/2020“.  
Harry is back in the door frame again, blocking the sparse light coming in.  
„Pho?“ Louis asks, motioning to the painting with his head.  
„A friend.“ Harry ruffles through his hair and sweeps it back, then walks towards the stove.  
„It’s one of the paintings that were in the stairwell.“ He explains.  
Louis nods and then makes the connection to the painting he saw being carried up the stairs. The colors he saw through the foil wrapped around it, line up with the painting hanging beside him now.  
Harry picks up a soft grey pot holder, raises the lid from the steaming pot, stirs and sniffs. „You ok with mushrooms?“  
„The food kind?“ Louis teases and leans onto the counter to peak into the pot. The content is a pale yellow broth with spots of dark red swirled in. When Harry stops stirring the spots start to congregate into pools of dark red.  
„Yes, the food kind.“ Harry drawls. His voice deep and breaking into a rasp at the end. Louis grins up at him and cocks his head, blinking his eyes.  
Harry snorts and Louis nods. „Yes I’m ok with mushrooms.“  
„Good, because there are quite a few of them in here.“ Harry grins while tapping the spoon against the pot. It gives off a soft clonk.  
After putting the spoon over the pot he turns around, Louis watches his back move and hears water splash into a sink.  
Harry turns back around with a bowl of noodles that he slides into the broth with the help of the spoon. He spreads them around and then turns off the flame of the burner and puts a lid on top of the pot.  
The spoon suddenly is right in front of Louis' mouth and without thinking, he opens up and samples a taste.  
His eyes fly open when the taste explodes on his tongue. He looks up at Harry and moans. It’s spicy but also sweet and somehow herb-y and it tastes like wood and sunshine.  
„That tastes like wood and sunshine.“ He says without thinking.  
Harry’s eyes light up „It does?“  
„Like drying spices and the dark of the earth. I guess the last part is because of the mushrooms.“ Louis shrugs.  
Harry looks at him silently. His eyes boring into his as if he is trying to look straight into Louis' head.  
„You certainly have a way with words, Louis Tomlinson.“  
„I’ve been known for that.“ Louis quips back.  
There is a scratching sound to Louis' right. He cocks his head to hear better and is rewarded with a very clear meow.  
„Oh shit!“ Harry exclaims, runs to the balcony door, closes it and then rushes past Louis to the hallway. Louis is following him with his eyes. Harry opens the door at the top end of the hallway „I am so sorry, love.“ he says to a colorful cat sprinting out of the room. She makes a loud meowing sound, jumps to the side when she sees Louis and is out of sight in less than a second.  
Louis looks back up to Harry, his mouth forming a small o.  
Harry grins at him sheepishly, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.  
Louis looks towards the living room where the cat vanished and back to Harry.  
„You have a cat?“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will settle for a 2-week schedule for the time being.  
> It's what I can manage right now... This aged badly. I am putting this into hiatus for a few weeks. Life got to me and I don't want to sacrifice the quality. 
> 
> Thank you again to everyone reading and leaving kudos.  
> I am so thankful to every single one of you.  
> Please feel free to comment. I'd love to read your thoughts.
> 
> Also a huge thanks again to wiHLma for doing research and beta reading AND the same to me new beta reader Francesca  
> I love you both. You have been a great help this time.


End file.
